Falling Undercover
by Steele.Hearts33
Summary: For the last three years, Christian Grey has been chasing a cross country serial killer known as the Papz. The discovery of an important clue under the latest victim's body points the team in a new direction. Anastasia Steele has worked hard her life to build up her company, Steele Holding Enterprises. She doesn't take most threats seriously, but a bullet tends to change ones mind.
1. Chapter 1

4/17/18

 **A/N: Welcome. I hope you click the follow and favorite boxes at the bottom when you're done reading this chapter. This is my newest story, Falling Undercover. This is a story with an almost completely different Christian. In this story, Christian never went to work at Elena Lincoln's home that summer around his 15** **th** **birthday. Instead he was sent to military school. Change that and what changes in his life.**

 **Ana was never taken away from Ray when her mother decided to leave him for Stephen Morton, she left Ana as well. How would Ana's life had been shaped if Ray met another woman and remarried? What kind of life has Ana made without the negative influence of her mother in her life?**

 **This story is my project for Camp NaNoWriMo. My goal is to publish a chapter a day until the story is complete, however there may be a day that I fail to post. After the story is completed, it will only remain on FFN for a little while before it is pulled. Falling Undercover is being developed as a wholly original novel, but I'm preposting as FanFiction.**

 **Review, review, review. Let me know what you think. Find a mistake, send me a private message. Trust me these chapters are nowhere close to publish ready. These are first drafts. You are my pre-reading audience.**

 **I don't own these characters in this story, E.L. James created Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. They will cease to exist when this story is pulled from FFN.**

 **Thank you for being a faithful reader and thank you for supporting me.**

 *****Trigger Alert*** This story contains mentions of abuse, physically, sexually, and eventually emotionally. Details are stated in quick facts. They are not detailed as they are occurring.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 1**

Christian watched the scene below him as the helicopter moved over the area. He'd been in Savannah when the call came in. The Papz had struck again it seemed. Christian and his team were sick of hitting dead end after dead end with this guy. He was purposely sloppy. He left his prints and his DNA all over each victim and their homes. He stalked each and every one of the victims before abducting them for two days. After he was finished with each victim, he killed and mutilated the body before dumping it. Each victim had been a recent local celebrity of some kind. The first being having won some singing competition three weeks before her death in Los Angeles. She'd been found beaten, raped, and strangled. Each murder progressed from there in the intensity of violence.

Sighing to himself, Christian climbed from the helicopter the minute the aircraft was on the ground. He hadn't even waited for the rotors to stop. Christian wanted to verify that they had in fact found the Papz ninth victim in five years. Today marked two months from the fifth-year anniversary of the death of the first victim, Tiffany Miller. Christian hadn't been a member of the task force then. He joined nearly three years ago, after the discovery of the fourth body. Since then, Christian had found bodies in five states. Each murder was more gruesome than the last.

Walking the half block to the crime scene, Christian starts to take note of the area around him. The warehouse is in an abandoned area of town, on the outskirts and away from downtown and the financial district. He's quick to take note of the light pole across the street. Christian would bet his next paycheck that the light was busted out of it. The building next to the pole, was a pile of old charred rubble. It had been burned long ago. He noted a cut in the fence around the remains of the old structure, most likely the home of vagabonds.

The sidewalk in front of the entrance of his designated location was cracked and filled with weeds, dandelions that made Christian think of summers at his grandparents' home. There was a security shack once he turned passed the covered fence. The windows were busted out, and there was a ratted blanket wadded up in the corner under the desk. The shack was equipped with cameras, but the power line the shack had been cut long ago based on the weathered exposed optics. The area beyond is teeming with agents and crime scene technicians. One thing Christian learned quick on the job, evidence is never processed or collected as quickly as it was on television. The technicians were never as good looking either. Well Christian knew one who was, but Mickie was just someone to pass the time with when he was in Chicago.

"Grey, it's about time you get here? I heard you struck out in Savannah." Christian looked at the director of their behavior analysis unit, Jason Taylor. While Christian was a 31-year-old former Army Ranger, his director was a 52-year-old retired Army commander. Like Jason, Christian was recruited straight to the FBI when he elected to not renew his contract with the Army nearly five years ago. The eight years that Christian spent in the service, he worked studiously online to earn a degree in criminology. After his second rotation to Afghanistan, Christian knew he couldn't reenlist, no matter what kind of promotions he was promised.

"I interviewed the girl. She'd only returned to town five days ago. She's been traveling around Europe the last month modeling in runway shows over there. I already confirmed her passport stamps and the flight from Moscow she returned to the states on. She's a lucky one." Tara Quinn had created a program and the woman he'd interviewed that morning was the result of the parameters she'd created. Tara's theory was that if they could predict the next victim, they could find the shit head finally.

"You'll have to let Tara know so that she can adjust her parameters and verify locations before sending you out again." Taylor was a stoic man. He didn't give a shit about anything other than the job. He expected you to do your job and to do it well. If you didn't do yours, he couldn't be expected to do his and when he wasn't doing his, the suits in Washington were breathing down all their necks.

"I'll call her after we're done here. I'm flying back to D.C. with you." Christian didn't want to stick around Atlanta and thought the newest member of their team could hang out for the autopsy. "Prescott can attend the autopsy."

"Negative, you're the primary field agent. You stay with the body. I want that autopsy report before the end of the day. If you want to deliver it personally to me, that is fine, but you stay with her." Christian groaned as Taylor rolled his toothpick between his teeth.

"I'm already regretting taking the latest promotion." Christian was excited six months ago when they offered him the new title and pay raise. He didn't expect the increase in grunt work though.

"You love being primary. You've had a hard on for this guy for years, ever since you were a probie. You're closer now than you ever have been. Tara will work out the bugs in her program. I bet you find him before he claims the next victim." Christian wanted to feel boosted by his boss's vote of confidence, however, Christian didn't have as much faith as Taylor.

"He's never taken less than four months before claiming another victim. I don't think he'll make it two this time. The fifth-year anniversary of Tiffany's death is coming up. I think that he's going to want to celebrate, maybe go after whatever his catalyst was, or try to recreate it. We just need to figure out what or who it was." In every serial murderer case, there is an inciting incident, discover that and you discover the direct path to your unsub.

"You think he'll go back to the scene of the first crime?" Taylor held back his reservations, he didn't think this guy was going to go that way. He still didn't support Christian's main theory.

"I'm telling you, this guy was rejected and he's either going back to his original stomping ground, or he's going to go after the one that got away." Christian was convinced their suspect was a loner in school. Someone who followed his original obsession like a lost puppy dog. She most likely befriended him out of pity, but when he finally got the guts to make his feelings known, he was denied. Christian has been scouring cold cases around college campuses looking for someone who might be their original victim. He's sure she was assaulted and lived to tell the tale.

"You have your theory, but it doesn't fit the profile. Stick with the profile. Let's go inspect the body before they have to move it." Christian and Taylor move to the east corner of the lot and stand next the medical examiner. Pulling a notebook from his back pocket, Christian prepares to make notes on the medical examiners initial findings. Both agents stay quiet and listen to the M.E. while he dictates to his assistant.

"Rigor has set in. Current liver temp is 29.2 degrees Celsius. Estimated time of death is between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. Victim appears to be approximately twenty-five to twenty-eight years in age. Her brown hair has been shaved in spots, cut in others. Appears to have been initially assaulted over thirty-six hours ago judging by the coloring of some of the bruising on her face. Initial examination is positive for sexual assault. Victim has nine stab wounds of varying depth and sizes in her thighs and abdomen. She has distinct hand prints on her neck indicative of strangulation." Christian stood stock still as he listened to the harm that had befallen their latest victim.

"Any chance of an I.d. yet?" So much for Taylor's patience.

"Within the hour. She looks familiar, but there is so much bruising and swelling on her face that I can't be sure. I'm waiting for someone to show up with a mobile fingerprint scanner. If they don't show before I finish, I'll print her at the morgue." Taylor simply nodded and walked off to talk with a crime scene tech that was collecting rocks. They had so much useless evidence in more than sixty boxes back at the bureau.

"All of the other victims had spent time in the news over the last two months before they were murdered. One woman won a singing competition. A few have been up and coming models, one was connected to a point guard with an NBA team. Another was nominated for Teacher of the year. The last victim, in Chicago, was an officer that had just been cleared in an officer involved shooting. She was abducted a week after the D.A. declared her innocent of wrong doing." Each woman had been prominent on the nightly news and several of their bodies had been found with newspaper clippings featuring the victim. "Was there any paper found in her hands?" That's how they usually found the articles.

"No, but I haven't rolled her over yet. We'll get to that just before we put her in the bag. We should be ready to move her in about ten minutes." Nodding to the M.E., Christian moved around the scene. He noted that there wasn't a drop of blood anywhere. She had obviously been killed somewhere else. There were obvious drag marks starting about thirty feet from the body. Tire tracks had been marked and photographed and a tech was currently making a cast of the tread. Christian would bet his left nut they matched a stolen vehicle or the victim's own vehicle. It was part of the m.o. Five years and he's never rented a car, blown through a traffic cam lights, or been caught on a working camera.

Another tech was picking up a cigarette butt, another one of his calling cards. It would be a Winston Gold 100. The last four victims all had one found with the body. The M.E. would also discover one perfect circular cigarette burn on their feet. Christian's chest ached thinking of his own burns.

"Agents, we're ready to move her." Brought out of his musings, Christian rejoined the M.E. and stood next to Taylor as the assistant ready the body bag for the victim. As soon as they started to roll her over to examine the back, Taylor whistled for a tech to join them.

"Get a picture of that." He was pointing to a plain white piece of paper found under the body. "What do you make of that Grey? That's new." Christian thought the Papz had finally messed up. He was positive that wasn't something he meant to leave behind. While the tech moved around the body snapping photographs, Christian pulled one of the latex gloves that he always carried on scene from his pocket.

Squatting down to retrieve the paper, Christian was able to ascertain it was a photograph before he turned it over. He motioned for a nearby tech to get him an evidence bag. He waited for the bag to be in his hand before flipping it over. It was near impossible to cover his surprise. The coloring on the picture was faded in a few spots, indicating it wasn't newly printed. That wasn't what got everyone's attention though. The young woman in the photograph couldn't be more than eighteen, and she was a dead ringer for each of their previous victims.

"I hate saying you're right Grey." Taylor didn't wait to receive any response from Christian before he had his phone to his ear and was walking away. Christian knew in his gut that this young woman was their unsub's catalyst. If Christian could find her, he could find the man that's eaten away at his soul for the last three years. He stared into the azure eyes of the young woman. Her face was in profile. She was looking at someone on her left and laughing. The background was a party of some sort, but he couldn't find anything to date the photo. He'd have to turn it over to the B.A.U. team to run through facial recognition. It would take days as they ran age progression analysis before doing so.

Christian started to walk away from the scene, set to ride with the medical examiner's team, and he couldn't help but smile to himself. The Papz finally made a mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews yesterday and the encouragement. I appreciate it. A few things to look forward to in the next few days outside of Falling Undercover. I was a featured author in the Days of Fifty One Shot Challenge. I will be posting my one-shot once they last author is posted there. Grey Vitals is getting an update this week! Also, I'm possibly taking a NaNo break this weekend to work on a one-shot inspired by ihootie. She gave me a small idea and I want to run with it.**

 **It was brought to my attention yesterday in the form of persistent negative reviews, that readers are under the impression that I never finish anything. I'm disappointed that readers feel this way. I've tried to keep updates coming on my stories, but NaNo is my focus this moment. Some of you aren't reading the A/Ns though I'm told, which are also too long apparently. There is important information here. Frankly, I'm tired of guests being upset because I don't update as often as they should. I have a life outside of FF and my health to worry about. Yes, I pulled Submissive Beginning when it was at a critical moment, but as the writer it is my prerogative to do as I wish with it. I have been stuck on where to take the story to achieve the ending I want. After the verbal abuse I endured from guest reviewers over the lack of update I pulled it. This summer I plan to rework and change a few things so that I can get the story to the ending it deserves.**

 **Those sticking with me, LadyChamp, you are all the best.**

 **Laters**

* * *

Five years. Anastasia Rose Steele had been working non-stop for five years. Last week Forbes named her the second richest American under forty. She was the top female on the list. The second female was listed at number seventeen. Steele Holding Enterprises has been a success from the get go. She knew it would be, as did her father. When she started, her number two, Hannah Vaughn, was her only other employee. She purchased a failing personal securities company, upgraded their technologies and then sold it for more than double what she paid. Their second acquisition was a shipping company. She paid pennies on the dollar and tripled her investment when she sold it off in parts. From there the company grew and grew. The main focus at SHE is communication and technologies. Next week, they'll be branching off into the world of publishing. Seattle Independent Press will become Steele Publishers. Yes, Anastasia Rose Steele was worth billions. Not Bill Gates Billions, but close to Mark Zuckerberg billions. She had all kinds of cash and no one to share it with.

Ana didn't usually regret the lonely life she lived. She was an all work and no play kind of gal. She knew she was pretty, gorgeous even. She made bi-monthly visits to the salon and spa to get her hair trimmed and treated. Her skin was porcelain smooth. She was a perfect size four, a tiny hourglass figure with curves in all the right places. She had many admirers, but she was never interested. Ana spent her college years fighting off advances so that she could double major and graduate on time. She felt she didn't need many of the classes she took, but they were required for her degree and a degree was a must. On the night of her high school graduation, Ana discovered that her estranged mother's great aunt had left a sizable inheritance for her. She could use it to pay her way through college and when she had her degree in hand she could have the rest. If she quit school before graduating, she forfeited the millions to charity. That inheritance had bought her first brand new car and given her and Hannah the startup money they needed for SHE.

Grousing about her lack of a love life did Ana no good. She'd been on many a first dates, compliments of her matching making best friend Kate Kavanagh. Most ended before dessert was served. Multiple men felt she should pay for dinner since she was clearly the breadwinner at the table. One man even offered to skip dinner all together and take her to his playroom. That's when she learned what BDSM. He spent weeks trying to coax her into being his newest submissive, but she wasn't having it. Ana had one sexual experience and though she had no memory of the events of that night, the Portland Police Department had the evidence in case she ever wanted to press charges.

Five years. In a few weeks it will have been five years since that shitty graduation party. Ana shook her head trying to clear the melancholy cobwebs from her head. She needed to focus. In two hours she was meeting with Kate, who coincidently was her PR director. Ana had poached Kate from the Seattle Times after her first run in with the paparazzi. They'd printed a picture of her with her step-brother and tried to sell a story of her and a married man having an illicit affair. Kate stepped in and issued a press release, along with a photo of the two dressed as wonder woman and batman for Halloween when they were in fifth grade. If Zack Webber wasn't off playing Marine pilot in Beaufort, South Carolina, he would hold the title of best friend, not Kate.

Three days after they graduated high school, Zack enlisted with the Marines, and had confirmed a scholarship to the U.S. Naval Academy. By the end of his senior year, he'd declared he was going to attend flight school. He graduated a week before Ana and they were able to spend nearly twenty-four hours with him before he boarded a plane for Pensacola. Zack and Ana were near twins, even though they had completely different parents. They had identical chestnut hair. While her blue eyes were more of an azure color, his were a darker cobalt. They both turned red after twenty minutes in the sun. While Ana was on the petite side, Zack had six inches and about hundred pounds of muscle on her. He was a broad-shouldered babe magnet, not that it mattered to Zack, he married his high school sweetheart in the summer before his senior year. Six months later, Maggie was born.

Ana risked a look at the photo frame to the right of her computer. The triple photo frame included her whole family. The middle picture was a photo of Ana, Zack, and her father Raymond Steele and his wife, Zack's mother, Vicki. The photo on the left side of the frame was the latest family photo that Zack's wife, Pam, had sent. Maggie was getting bigger and her red curls matched her mother's perfectly. The photo on the right was a picture of her and Kate. It was from their junior year, when Kate had finally convinced Ana to spend a little of her inheritance on something other than school and books. For the first time and after about ten invitations, Ana joined the Kavanagh family at the home in Barbados. It was a week filled with sun and rum and little string bikinis.

The knock at Ana's door brought her out of her head. She didn't get the chance to answer before her head of security for SHE walked in. Luke Sawyer was the only hold over from the first securities company she bought. When she was preparing to sell it, he asked to take a month off and then come work for her. She jumped at the chance. He didn't even ask for a raise in his current salary. She loved Luke like another big brother, but lately he was pissing her off. Ana was an independent woman and use to doing things her way and without chaperones. However, for the last six months he had been pushing for her to hire a close protection officer. She had tried to appease him last year by hiring a dedicated driver. She actually liked being able to sit in the back seat wherever she went. It allowed her to work on her phone while she moved from point A and point B.

"Ana, we need to talk. Andrea says you're free." Ana took a moment to pull up her calendar window to verify what she already knew. Andrea knew her schedule better than she did.

"What's up Luke?" He looked pensive and she could see he held an large manila envelope in his hand. Her curiosity was peeked even more when he sat in the chair across from her desk. Luke didn't take his normal relaxed pose, he was brooding and staring at her like he could strangle her. Ana wasn't sure what it was, but she was close to admitting she was the one taking his kcups from the executive break room.

"You need to let me hire a CPO. I'm tired of this tough girl shit. If you don't agree to let me start looking, I'm calling your father and your brother." Ana was the one brooding now. Something bad had to be in that envelope, but she was going to call his bluff.

"Zack is on mission. You're more likely to get Maggie when you call his phone. Dad can talk till he's blue in the face, but he knows that he can't make me do anything." Luke watched her, his expression never changing. He was a freakishly tall human being. Ana called him the vampire because he reminded her of the viking vampire from one of her favorite book series. Luke was 36 and had a swimmer's body. He kept his blond hair cropped on the sides and longer on top. His mood usually determined which way it was combed. Today it was combed to the right. That meant he was pissed.

"Either you let me make the call today or I'm calling Mama." If there was one person in the world that could get Ana to do anything it was her stepmother. Vicki Webber Steele had been a godsend in Ana's life. When her mother packed up in the middle of the night while she and her father slept, she spent a year thinking she had done something wrong. Vicki had met Ray at the one and only PTA meeting he ever attended. It was love at first sight, and Ana knew how lucky she was. Her stepmother was a better mother than her egg donor had ever been. Vicki is the one that kissed her scraped knees. She talked her down when she first started experiencing PMS. Vicki is the one that told her it was okay if she wanted to attend Harvard or Yale and be so far away from the family, but it was okay if she wanted to be close to home as well. It also helped that Vicki's son was one of her few friends in class. Vicki knew what buttons to push and how to guilt trip her into anything.

"What happened? You only play the Mama card if it's serious." Luke sat back in the chair watching her intently. He crossed his right leg over the left, resting his ankle on his knee. His left hand held the envelope holding the package he had received from the mail room only moments before. Luke had handled some of Ana's mail before. From marriage proposals to death threats. None of them had been like this though.

Tossing the envelope on the table, Luke looks at Ana. He's been with her at SHE for a little more than four years. They had become fast friends. He saw her has a little sister, and if he could find another him to run the day to day stuff, he'd become her new shadow. He never wanted to see anything happen to her, but it was hard to convince her that she wasn't made of Kevlar.

Ana snatched the offending material off her desk. Luke had her thinking the worst. Maybe they were being sued over the deal she backed out of last month. That had to be it. When she opened the flap the expected a neat stack of papers. Instead she found a misshapen pile of photographs. Dumping the envelope on its end and spilling the contents across the desk, Ana tries to hold back the bile threatening to escape her mouth when she saw the used condom in a plastic baggie.

Ana ignored the offending piece of latex and instead tried to focus on the photographs. The scattered mess caused her a moment of alarm as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. They were photos of her from over the last five years. She knew they were at least that old because there was a one photo that was long range from Zack's graduation at the academy. Another was from a charity gala she attended two years ago. Some were of her running everyday errands. Ana could date most of the photos because of her style of clothes.

"I admit, this is weird, but nothing to require a CPO over." Ana had seen similar photos in the gossip rags when she bought her Ben and Jerry's on Wednesday nights.

"Maybe this will light the fire under your ass finally. It was inside as well." Luke tossed a smaller envelope, about a 5"x7" size. Luke had his Hulk face on and Ana really didn't want to look inside. She made no attempts to pick the envelope up and look inside. "So help me Annie, if you don't open that envelope and agree to let me make a call, I will walk out of here and I'll send a car to bring Vicki up here. Look in the damn envelope Anastasia." Shit, he had used Annie and Anastasia. He learned that trick from her father.

With shaky hands, Ana opened the smaller envelope. She was perplexed at first. There were ten photos inside. One after another she saw the scared faces of small brunettes that bore a striking resemblance to her. The last photo was what had her shaking. It was a photo of her from this morning, running. She remembered thinking someone was following her and kept looking back over her shoulder. If it as just her photo she would think that it was like the others. But her face had a bullseye drawn around it. _TURN OVER_ had been written in bold marker. When she flipped it over, she read the message. _You_ _'_ _re next. You'll end up just like them. DEAD. I've waited five years for you bitch._

Ana gulped and looked at Luke. She could see the fear in his eyes. Fear for her. She'd never seen that look before. She was scared. If this guy had been following her for five years, and harmed these other women as he claimed, she could be in some real trouble. "Make the call Luke."


	3. Chapter 3

4/19/18

 **A/N: Thank you everyone yesterday for the amazing reviews. I've once again been told my a/ns are too long, so I will try to make this one short and sweet. I write mostly for myself, but I'm drive to post comes from your encouragement. For the last year, I've felt nothing but encouragement from the women in the many Facebook groups. I probably wouldn't write half of what I do if not for all those ladies. So, Thank you to all the members of the Playroom, the FSoG Writer's Support and the FSoG and More groups. I'm in several other groups, but the ladies of these groups are amazing.**

 **Special shout out to my bestie LadyChamp. Every day she encourages me, and I would not be on this journey if not for her. Anyway, on with the show. I don't own FSoG, but this plotline is all my own.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 3**

Luke wasted no time after Ana gave him the go ahead to make his call yesterday. Luke knew exactly who to call. There was a man that he knew would never fail him. If he could count on only one man in this life, it was his former Army commander, Jason Taylor. Taylor kept in touch with several his soldiers from over the years. Last year he'd even asked Luke to join his FBI team. He needed smart muscle he said. Luke was a securities expert and could still bench press 200 pounds. He was a perfect candidate for the team, but Luke liked his position with Ana at her company. Truth be told, he talked about the opportunity with Ana's father, Ray, before he fully turned it down. Ray was all for him sticking with Ana, but Luke has always had the feeling that he wanted there to be more between Ana and Luke.

One call was all he needed to make. Jason Taylor would have an answer for him. "Taylor." The commander never had people skills.

"Major, it's Luke Sawyer." No matter how long either of them had been out of the service, Luke always referred to him as Major.

"What can I do for you Sawyer? Call to tell me you've finally come to your senses and decided you're not a corporate desk jockey?" Luke chuckled because no matter how many times he explained the complexities of his job, Taylor always called him a pencil pushing desk jockey. It was one of the worse insults you could hurl in the military.

"No, but I've run into a situation with my boss. She's come under the eye of a big baddie, or at least he's a big bad in my opinion. This afternoon she received a large envelope full of pictures of her throughout the last five years. That wouldn't be a problem as most of them could easily be mistaken for paparazzi photos. However, there was a used condom inside, also not out of the ordinary unfortunately. What was telling was the second envelope in the package. There was a set of photos of different women and another of my boss. The photo of her had a bullseye on it and said she was next. I've finally got her to agree to a CPO. Think you can recommend anyone?" Luke waited for his answer. Not being in front of the man left him at a disadvantage. Taylor had three main looks that would tell you anything you wanted to know about the man.

"Can you scan the contents to me? Send them encrypted to my dump account. I'll look it over and should have a name for you by Friday. I would say sooner, but we're on a major case and trying to track down a lead that seems to be near impossible." Luke could hear the exasperation in Taylor's voice.

"Anything I can help with?" Luke wasn't sure he wanted to offer the help but asking was almost reflex.

"Can you accurately date a photo and perform an age progression that won't give us a false positive in the FBI's facial recognition program?" That was telling. If he was being serious that only meant Taylor was about to hit a dead end and that will only make him more irate.

"Sorry, I'm not the computer nerd. I run background checks and handle security risk assessment for the top boss." Luke did more than that, but he always tried to dumb down his importance to Ana's company.

"Alright, Sawyer. We're not a bunch of girls, we don't need to be yapping our jaws. I'll talk to you Friday. Send me that file." Without waiting for a goodbye, Taylor had hung up.

Luke spent the next hour scanning in each photo, along with one he took of the condom, as well as a copy of the threat. Hopefully Taylor would be able to find out if those women were actually hurt. As happy as he is that Ana finally agreed to a close protection officer, he would be even happier to find out the entire thing was a hoax.

* * *

Thursday evening found Ana and Kate at dinner discussing the disaster that was Ana's lack of a love life. "Kate, I'm happy you're in love. Really, I am. I'm glad that my construction guy ticks every one of your future husband boxes, but I don't have the time nor the desire to date." Ana had had this conversation before. Even the future husband part. Kate was a serial dater. She was never single for long and she always discussed her marriage list. If they couldn't check off five of her seven boxes, they didn't make it past date five.

"Elliot is different than anyone I've ever met. He checks off six of the boxes. If his family is as amazing as he is, he'll mark off all seven boxes. The only thing that might prevent the seventh box is some absentee brother he's got. He warned me that I likely wouldn't meet him until someone died. I don't even know what the guy looks like, only that his name is Christian." Kate took another sip of wine before she continues to badger Ana. "You're twenty-six Ana. You'll be twenty-seven in a few months. As far as I know, you're still a virgin. You've only gone on exactly seven dates since you started SHE. You're stressed out. I know you haven't been to the gym in two weeks. So, tell me what you're doing to relieve all that stress. Dis you secretly join a BDSM club and turn into the perfect submissive on the weekends?"

Ana's jaw dropped at the words that were spilling form Kate's alcohol loosened mouth. "I'm…I'm, I'm not a virgin. And I've never been to a sex club of any kind. As for stress relieving, I've been swimming laps at the Escala pool." It was all true. Ana wasn't a virgin, not that she remembered the act of losing her virginity, let alone consenting to it. Ana hadn't had sex since then either. Medically, she wasn't considered a virgin, but in her heart and mind she still was. That was something she wasn't going to tell Kate though.

"Not a virgin?! When did this happen Ana and why have you never told me?" Kate slaps the table in her excitement to get the answers to her burning questions. "Do you have some sort of friend with benefits arrangement? Is that how you do it. Make all the men sign super-secret NDAs so they can't sell their story to the tabloids?" Kate's verbal diarrhea continued while Ana flagged down their server for another drink. Her only hope now was to get Kate so drunk she wouldn't remember any of this conversation.

"I'm not giving you details Kate. Just because you share every detail of your sex life, doesn't mean that I plan to share mine. That is not a confirmation to the existence of a sex life or secret booty call either." Ana knew how Kate's brain worked. Not denying was the same as confirmation to her. She could also find a way to turn a denial into a confirmation.

"Just tell me when. Was if during college or after graduation?" Ana regarded her best friend closely. She wasn't sure if she should believe her or not but would give her this one detail and that was it.

"I'll answer this and nothing else. It was after graduation." Ana closes her eyes and prays that Kate changes the subject.

"Okay, well fine. I'll leave it be. If you ever feel the need to let yourself get drunk enough to share the details with me, you let me know. Until then let's talk about me again. I'm meeting Elliot's parents this weekend. His mother, she's a pediatrician, is having Sunday brunch and it's mandatory for the kids to attend. Elliot decided it's time for me to meet them all. What am I going to wear?" Ana watch the small flash of fear cross Kate's eyes.

"Katie, you have nothing to worry about. They'll love you." Taking another sip of her drink, Ana watches Kate relax. "What about the brother? You said he was absentee."

"Yeah, Elliot doesn't talk about him much. Said his mother will likely talk about him. Apparently, they had to send him to military school as a kid and he never really came home. He went to the military right after he graduated. Elliot said he hasn't talked to him in three or four years." Ana nods her head in understanding. She hadn't talked to her own mother in years really. The last contact she received was a little over a year ago and she let her lawyer handle communicating with her. There was no need for them to exchange words when the woman only wanted money. It was easier to let the lawyer handle the payment to keep her quiet.

"Well, whenever you meet the brother, he'll love you too." Ana was sure of it too. Everyone that met Kate fell in love with her. She had one of those bubbly personalities. She could be tenacious, but she wasn't overbearing. She was also Ana's greatest cheerleader.

"Okay, enough about Elliot and his family. Tell me what's crawled up Luke's ass that requires him to send your driver in here like a shadow with us." Ana hated Luke's suggestion at using Ryan until he could find a proper CPO.

"Ugh, there was a credible threat made yesterday and it was either agree to this or he was calling Mama." Kate was in the middle of sipping her wine when she spit it all over the table.

"Damn, Ana. Warn a girl. You had a threat that was serious enough that he planned to call your Mama? What the hell kind of threat was this?" Ana sighed as she dabbed at the wine not all over the table.

"The kind of threat that involves a used condom and alludes to previous victims." Ana hated to admit what was happening was anything but a run of the mill crazy, but she saw true fear in Luke's eyes and that worried her.

"Well hell Ana. Is he getting someone better to replace Ryan or is he it? You know that Ryan doesn't run. He might be able to shield you if you're shot at but getting you away from danger outside his super-fast bat mobile would not work out for you." Kate was right. Ryan wasn't a trained body guard. He spent four years in the Army and applied for the job because it allowed him to pay for his sister's tuition.

"Ryan seems to be taking it in stride. Frankly this is the most excitement he's ever seen. Usually he sits in the car playing candy crush." Ana giggled as she peaked over her shoulder to her new temporary shadow. Joshua Ryan was a year younger than Ana with a baby face and soft brown eyes that made him look younger. He was nearly six-foot-tall and had broad muscular shoulders. His faded haircut made him look more like a trust fund playboy than the professional that he was.

"Maybe we should send him a drink over." Kate giggled seeing the look on his face.

"Kate, I've made friends with enough of my subordinates. I don't need to add another one." Ana moved the conversation along, avoiding the topic of work. When they meet like this, their only rule is that there is no talk of work. They have plenty time to do that on the clock. Soon the hour neared eleven and Ana called an end to their dinner and drinks. The restaurant was shutting down around them.

"I'll see you at the office tomorrow, Ana." With a hug to her best friend, Kate left, leaving Ana to wait with Ryan. Ryan moved in front of Ana to escort her to the car. Playing driver and body guard meant that Ana had to wait with Ryan for the valet to bring the car around. Normally she would text Ryan, who waited with the car, and he would text her back when he had arrived at the door.

After five minutes they saw the car finally arrive. Moving to open the door for Ana, Ryan turned his back to Ana when the valet jogged around with the keys. Ana stopped to pull out some cash and while Ryan was turned around he started to scan the street. He heard the crack of the gun before he saw the shooter. The guy was in a hoodie and under an awning hidden in the shadows. He didn't turn back around until he heard the muffled yelp of Ana.

She was on the ground holding her shoulder. The young valet looked like he was going to be sick. "Ms. Steele, are you okay?"

"No way in hell am I okay Ryan. Call Luke. Call 911. I've been shot. Whatever you do though, DO NOT CALL my father." Ryan moved quickly to his boss as he watched her hold her arm and the blood pouring from between her fingers. He took off his jacket and ripped off his tie, utilizing it as a tourniquet. Once the jacked was wrapped around her arm, Ryan held pressure as he placed the phones calls she demanded, avoiding the one call she instructed him not to make.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you once again for the wonderful words yesterday. Thank you for sticking with me. Grey Vitals is in process and will be updated on Monday hopefully.**

 **Those of you who didn't know before, I have a Facebook account under Steele Heart. The name on that account will be changing next month after I pull this story from FFN for publishing. I will reveal my pen name at that point in time.**

 **Once again, thank you all for the amazing encouragement you have given me. I appreciate it.**

 **I don't own FSoG, EL please don't sue me.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 4**

Ryan sat with Ana waiting for the ambulance to arrive. "I'm so sorry Ms. Steele. Sawyer's going to kill me." He kept apologizing over and over but Ana was having none of it.

"Ryan, you aren't a trained CPO, nor are you a psychic. You couldn't have known." Ana's last words came out on a hiss as he continued applying pressure to her arm. Nothing had ever hurt Ana like this had.

"I'm still sorry Ms. Steele. If you want my resignation, I'll tender it effective immediately." Ryan looked sick to his stomach with guilt and worry.

"If you quit, who's going to pay for your sister's tuition? Certainly won't be your dead beat parents. I've already given you forgiveness. Don't make me give you an ass kicking for being an idiot. You aren't quitting. Besides, I don't have time to train anyone to have my coffee ready the way I like it and make it across town in less then ten minutes without forcing me to spill it all over myself." Ana knew she was trying to deflect from the seriousness of the situation with humor. It's what she's always done.

Ryan continued to apologize more but soon he was cut off by the arrival of the police, just in time to push the arriving swarm of cameras and reporters back.

"Ma'am, can you tell us what happened?" The arrival of two uniformed officers stopped anymore of Ryan's apologies. Ana begin to recount the dinner she'd had with her friend and then the process of getting into the car.

"Do you know anyone who may wish to harm you?" Ana rolled her eyes at the question. She could name 100 people from her business dealings alone in the last five years.

"Officer, I get threats all the time. I'm the richest woman in America. I piss men off in the boardroom on a daily basis. Women call me a disgrace to feminism. Then there are the regular nut jobs. The ones that think they can kidnap me for ransom or just want me because they think they're in love with me. Talk to my head of security Luke Sawyer." After rolling her eyes again and answering a few more questions, Ana was finally able to settle down in the back of the ambulance and make her way to the hospital.

Ana thought about how Luke was going to rub this in her face. God she hoped he didn't call her father, or worse call Mama. That wouldn't likely be the case. Daddy was a little stir crazy since he retired. It was why she built the wood shop for him. He was likely out there now with a beer and listening to the emergency response scanner. Mama would have been at her book club tonight. Maybe they went to bed together early. One could only hope.

Being strapped to a gurney was an experience that Ana never wanted to repeat. The EMT wouldn't let her do anything. They made her leave her phone and purse with Ryan. They would get her information from him or someone else when they got to the ER. Thankfully by the time they pulled up into the ambulance bay she had calmed her self. The jostling the two men did removing the gurney from the back of the ambulance caused pain to ricochet up her arm and down her chest though. Never again. Ana promised to get two body guards if it could prevent this. She didn't like having Ryan attached like he was at dinner, but she'd put up with whatever Sawyer suggested if it kept her alive and without pain.

Ana knew she was being a baby about the wound. It was still bleeding pretty heavily, but she wanted pain meds and she didn't want to wait. She almost started to throw one of those "Do you know who I am?" fits, but thought better of it. As it turned out the doctor seeing to her wasn't even one that should be examining her today.

"Ms. Steele, I'm Dr. Trevelyan. I'm working the ER tonight. I have to warn you though, I'm actually a pediatrician. Is it okay if I look at your arm?" The woman carried herself with an air of grace. She was soft spoken and gentle in a way Ana needed right now. Kid Gloves, that's what she was being treated with.

"If I say yes, do you think I can get a shot of something to numb it a little bit? Every time it's moved, the pain ricochets up my arm and across my chest." Ana was sincere in her request. She never thought a gun shot hurt like this. When she didn't feel at risk of a lobotomy at her father's hands over this, she would ask him what it was like for him.

"Of course Ana. I've already got a nurse prepping a morphine bag. Looking at the way it's wrapped now and the fact that I can see it's still bleeding means it's deeper than originally thought at the scene. You'll most likely need surgery to repair some torn tissue. My main issue right now is getting this bleeding under control. I need to see the wound itself to do that though." The doctor was gentle and her reassuring eyes led Ana to nod her consent.

The doctor was quick to wash her hands and don a pair of gloves. She started by grabbing some gauze from a drawer near the sink and what looked like a huge pair of tweezers to Ana. "Alright. I'm going to remove the cloth first. The tie is helping with the blood flow so we won't remove it until I've assessed the area and the source of the bleeding. Can you tell me your blood type and any diseases or health conditions you might have? Medications are something we'll need to know as well." DR. Trevelyan kept her talking while she worked gently to remove the cloth. She had a nurse come in before it was fully off and Ana decided to answer her questions to distract herself.

"I'm A+. I've never been sick before outside of the chicken pox when I was 8. I don't even have allergies. No medications." Ana looked the other way when she felt Ryan's jacket lift away from her arm completely. She felt something cool and liquid on her arm and curiosity got the best of her.

"Alright Ana, this is much deeper then I though. I had hoped it was a flesh would, but it was a through and through. You've got some torn muscle. This is going to hurt a bit because I'm going to be looking for the bleed. Nurse push ten of morphine and then help me hold her shoulder down." The doctor's gentle tone was a little pushy now and Ana didn't like the idea of being pushed down on the gurney and being held down again.

She soon realized why though when she felt the doctor's finger digging into her wound. "AAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ana screamed out at the shock of the initial pain. She tried to lift off the gurney and away from the doctor's offending finger, but she was being held secure.

"Clamp." The doctor demanded something and then she felt the pressure lessen. "Call the OR, she's got a tear in her Brachial artery." Ana felt the gauze being pressed to the wound and then the doctor was moving around to look at her. "You're a lucky lady Ms. Steele. Another three inches to the right and the bullet would have hit your lung."

Ana started to fade out and she looked to the doctor again. "Don't worry darling girl, we're going to take good care of you. You should fall asleep soon and when you wake up you'll be in recovery." That was the last thing Ana heard before she succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

"Luke, you want to tell me what the hell happened to my little girl?" Mr. Raymond Steele was a retired Fire Chief and everyone knew that Ana Steele was the apple of her father's eye. One did not mess with his little girl. Especially since it was easy to forget that he served in the military and was as trained as Luke was. His tone alone made Luke go to parade rest. Back straight and his hands clenched at his sides.

"Sir, Ms. Steele received what I perceived to be a credible threat Wednesday afternoon. Ryan is usually her driver, but while I tried to find suitable protection he was acting as her shadow. He was with her tonight as her body guard. You must know, he's not trained sir. He's not a runner, nor is he trained in surveillance. He's got the build for it, but he's going to need more training. I failed thinking that he would be enough for now." Luke was visibly upset at what had happened to his friend. He wasn't a man with many friends, especially after the war, but Ana was one of the few.

"Luke I'm not placing blame anywhere but on the sick bastard that did this. Now tell me what happened. Please." Ray's voice shook at the end thinking the worse about his daughter.

"Ryan said they were waiting for the valet to arrive. Usually he stays with the car, but he was forced to use the valet so he could go inside the restaurant with her. He said the valet came around the car and gave him the keys. He's opened the door for Ana, but she topped so she could tip the valet. Ryan was looking across the street and just happened to see a showed figure looking in their direction. He moved around the car to get inside and that was when he heard the shot. It's a through and through, but it severed an artery in her arm. They're in surgery now." Luke was winded and thankful Ana's father was here now. They wouldn't give him any updates other than she was still in surgery.

"I'll see if I can get an update. Hang tight." Raymond walked away from Luke and headed toward the nurse's station. Luke watched Ray and a nurse talk for a few minutes and then the nurse made a phone call. Soon she was talking to Ray again and he was nodding his head. When Ray joined Luke again he updated the man on Ana's condition.

"She's out of surgery and in recovery. They said she's already coming out of the anesthesia. We can go to post op in fifteen minutes to see her. I've got to go call Vicki before she hears it on the news." Luke's eyes bugged out at the mention of Ana's Mama.

"Sir, you've not called her?" Luke was scared of Vicki Steele. "Ana's going to be pissed I called you as it is."

"That stubborn daughter of mine will get over it. Vicki on the other hand will skin me alive for waiting this long to call her about her daughter." Ray looked nauseous at the statement and for the first time that night, Luke chuckled to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

4/21/18

 **A/N: Thanks once again to each and everyone of you for the kind words in your reviews and private messages. I know many of you are waiting to meet Vicki Steele, sorry but you've got one more chapter before she blows through. Don't worry, when Mama Steele gets here, everyone's going to know who the real boss is.**

 **I don't own FSoG or it's characters. Please remember that I'm writing this as an original story first and adapting each chapter to the fandom for FFN posting. If there is a mistake let me know via PM and I'll know to correct it.**

 **Please leave a review. Those are like catnip to writers.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 5**

Luke Sawyer waited until the wee hours before grabbing his phone and heading into the hallway. It had taken him nearly two hours to convince Mr. And Mrs. Steele that Ana would be fine with him until the next day. Ana would spend the morning at the hospital, but the doctor promised she could be released early afternoon. At this point they were just monitoring her from the blood loss. Ana was lucky that the bullet didn't fragment or hit her bone. The muscle that was torn was easily repaired and shouldn't require any therapy to heal. No, the worrying part of her condition had been the torn artery and blood loss. Dr. Trevelyan had promised Ana would be perfectly fine in a day or two. She could even return to work on Monday, not that any of them would be able to keep her from the office anyway.

Scrolling through his contacts for the necessary number, Sawyer placed the call. He couldn't sit around waiting for him to call him anymore. If he didn't have an answer he would have to find an alternate solution, Ryan would not cut it.

"Taylor." The voice on the other line was gruff and clouded with sleep. It was nearing 8 a.m. in New York so Sawyer had to wonder why his former commander was still asleep.

"Major, I need to know if you've found someone who can help me. We've had an escalation to our situation last night and I can't handle it on my own." Luke didn't bother with pleasantries. He was nearing desperation in his attempts to protect Ana. That woman was a friend and the closest he had to a little sister.

"Sawyer. I hadn't looked at the file yet. We thought we had a break in our case, but the lead led to nowhere. Seriously, do you know someone that can accurately determine someone's age based on an old photo. It would help us a lot." Luke was taken back by his former commander's candor. He could hear the pleading tone asking for a solution to his problems.

"Sir, I wish I knew someone. Our IT guy at SHE is a bit of a computer genius. Ana stole him from the NSA. He can do just about anything. If not, he might know someone who could."

"Send me his details and we'll see what he can do. Now explain your situation to me in detail. I'm in need of coffee before sitting in front of my laptop. Who is the target?" Taylor could be heard puttering around his kitchen. Luke could distinctly hear a cabinet opening and water running. Starting the coffee it seems, Luke thought to himself.

"Anastasia Steele. She's the owner of Steele Holding Enterprises. She's twenty-six and the second richest person in the country under 40. What's more is that she earned her fortune, none of her wealth is due to a fat trust fund." Luke paused when he heard a clang in the background but continued when the line got quiet. "Wednesday afternoon our offices received a package. There was no return address or real shipping label. As per protocol, the package was brought directly to me. Once it was x-rayed and proven to be non-explosive, I opened the package. Inside were about thirty photos of my boss. Most looked like paparazzi photos, but some dated nearly five years ago. There was even one of her brother's graduation from the naval academy. Whoever took the photos is stalking her. They also included a lovely DNA sample, which is in the custody of the Seattle Police Department, but I don't think they'll do anything with it really. It was the smaller envelope inside that got my hackles up. The suspect included ten more photos. One was of Ana taken Wednesday morning while she had been out running. A bullseye had been drawn on her face and the note on the back said that she was next. It mentioned waiting five years to get her. The other nine photos were of various women, but they were all subdued in some way. A few looked like they were unconscious from being beat up. One had a gag in her mouth and her hands tied behind her back. There was one taken in what looked like a back alley and I can't be so certain that the woman wasn't dead already. All the women looked like my boss, brown hair, petite frames. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure they were close to her in age as well." Luke paused once more, taking a deep breath. "Last night she was shot coming out of a restaurant. I can't protect her on my own. I need someone to help."

Before Luke had finished his statement, he heard a loud bang, what sounded like his former commander slamming his coffee mug on the counter. Then he heard a few choice expletives before the Major spoke. "Luke, where are those photos now?"

"I turned everything over to the SPD. It was a credible threat, although they treated me like I was being paranoid. The detective I spoke with didn't even want to take a written statement. Why what's up?" Luke knew something had resonated with Taylor, but he didn't know what it was.

"I'm not sure, but your boss might be the missing link to my case. Listen I have a contact in the area. I'll send him to you this afternoon. His name's Tate. You'll recognize the build. I'm sending him to your office, so don't send him away. He's the best I can do on short notice. Have him do an assessment and follow his instructions. If he says you need a team of twenty men, do it. He'll know how to find what you need. What was your boss's name again?" Luke wanted to laugh, he found it hard to believe that Anastasia Steele wasn't known by everyone in the country.

"Anastasia Steele. She was on the cover of Forbes Magazine recently." Luke stood silently in the hallway outside of Ana's hotel room while he let the silence stretch on the other end of the line.

"Shit, okay. Sawyer be ready. He's going to want to move quickly and warn your boss. Tate's a bit of a gruff. He's got razor sharp edges and he won't coddle her. Is she one of those independent I don't need a man's help women?" Luke did laugh finally because that was Ana exactly.

"Yeah, she is, but don't worry. I've got a secret weapon that can guilt her into compliance in ten seconds." Luke wasn't above bringing Mama in to get things done. Not now.

"Good. I'll talk to you soon."

The phone call disconnected, and Luke was left more unsettled than he was before. There was more going on than what was being let on.

* * *

Jason Taylor sat at his laptop scrambling to decrypt the file his former soldier had sent him less than 48 hours ago. He couldn't believe that he hadn't opened it already. As he watches the progression bar on the screen, Taylor called the one man that might be happier than he was with this news. If Taylor's suspicions were correct, this Steele could be the young girl in the photo found in Atlanta.

The phone rang four times before the other end was picked up. "Grey." Always so brusque. Taylor liked to think that he taught him that.

"Pack a bag and get to the airport, you're going home. Undercover. Until further notice you're Christopher Tate again. I've already established what needed to be. You're taking the jet and landing in Seattle in five hours. You're going to Steele Holding Enterprises and you're a body guard for hire." Taylor stop to let that information settle in as he watch the bar reach 100%. Clicking the touch pad on his laptop, Taylor opened the files and hissed through his teeth. The women in the photos were the Papz's victims, just like he suspected.

"What the hell am I going back to Seattle for and why the fuck am I going Undercover?" Christian didn't sound happy, but he could kiss Taylor's ass.

"Former soldier is working for a hotshot exec out there. She was on the cover of a magazine last week and last night she was shot at. She's petite and brunette. Want me to say more?" It was enough to bait Christian's curiosity as he dressed and grabbed his duffel bag.

"Yes. Are you planning to just start sending undercovers on all attacks against brunette women?" Christian was irritated to be woken up so soon. They had only gone to bed three hours ago after hovering over Tara all night long.

"I'm only sending you to play body guard to the ones that receive photos of all of the Papz's victims before she's attacked." At the mention of the Papz's name, Christian was silent. He was frozen halfway to his night stand to retrieve his badge and gun.

"What are you talking about?"

Taylor chuckled to himself, keeping the noise from Christian's ears. He was sensitive about this case. "The woman in the Atlanta photo. I think I found her and it was pure chance. I'll meet you at the plane and hand you the photos. I'll send Logan too. He'll be your handler and have the necessary files on the plane for you to get up to speed. You've got an hour."

Christian was speechless and staring at his phone at the sound of the click on the other end. Taylor had hung up and not given him a chance to respond. If he was going undercover in the corporate world, he would need suits and he should grab his sunglass collection. No need to risk his family seeing him.

Christian stepped into his bathroom and wondered if he should shave. He now sported two week's growth, but he liked it. His square jaw looked good covered with the dark copper tinted brown hair. Shaving would make him more like Christian Grey. Finished with brushing his teeth, Christian spit the mouthwash in the sink as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Hello Christopher Tate.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone favoriting and following this story. Vicki Steele is making her debut this chapter. Tomorrow, our favorite two will meet.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review. Serious, its catnip, I tell you.**

 **I don't own FSOG or it's characters. Please remember this is being developed as an original story first.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 6**

Luke waited for the return of Ray and his wife before entering Ana's hospital room again. "Luke, how is she?" Ray looked worried for his daughter and rightly so.

"Resting. She'll be awake soon and that is when she'll be a bear to deal with. She's not going to want to stay here another minute." Ray nodded his head knowing this. There was a Seattle police officer stationed down the hall and Luke nodded to him before turning to Ray. "I am going to go get some coffee. If she wakes up, tell her I'm just downstairs. Kate will be here soon to discuss a press release. She's already called me three times. I had to threaten security removing her to get her to go home last night. Well this morning."

Kate was more than Ana's best friend. She was her sister. Kate had been shaken and crying when she made it to the hospital. Her car had arrived before Ana's and she was halfway home before the shooting occurred. Kate had showered and opened her laptop up before she saw the missed calls and texts. The local headlines were sharing the news the Ana had been gunned down and she panicked, racing to the hospital.

While Luke was busy, Ray and his wife took the time to peak in on their daughter. "Luke finally take a break?" Ray was shocked to see Ana sitting up wide awake. The black brace that was used to keep Ana's arm pressed against her side stood out against the white of the hospital gown over her chest.

"Yeah, he went for coffee. Wanna tell Mama why you didn't see the need to tell us you were in danger?" Vicki Steele didn't mince meat when it came to her children. She was a protective mama bear, and no one was supposed to harm a hair on the top of their prefect little heads. Okay, maybe they weren't so little anymore.

Ana watched her step-mother, evaluating her appearance before she answered. Vicki Steele was a forty-nine-year-old woman who looked ten years younger. Vicki prided herself on the fact that every hair on hair on her head was still ebony black; not a gray hair in sight. Vicki was still slender for most women her age. Ana remembered sneaking into her laundry last year at Christmas because she wanted to buy her a new sweater. Vicki was a size 8 with hips men loved. Her brown eyes bore into Ana's blue ones and her lips were set into a thin line. She was dressed in a light weight camel colored sweater and dark washed jeans, Vicki Steele tapped her sneaker covered foot in impatience at Ana waiting for an answer. "I want to say sorry, but you've always hated when we were disingenuous in our apologies." Ana would have shrugged her shoulders if she could. "I just didn't want you to worry Mama. Heaven forbid you mention it to Zack. I'm having to deal with Luke enough as it is. I can't handle big brother coming in from where ever he's at and go all commando on me. I've tried to avoid overbearing security for years." Ana promised herself she would not fall for Mama's patented guilt trip. She would not fall for it.

"You were thinking of only yourself. Do you know what it did to your father to hear on the news that you had been shot? You told your driver to call Luke and no one else. You're lucky we were already on our way here by the time Luke called us. I have a mind to take a switch to your behind young lady." Vicki Steele had a backbone and a long-perfected way of making her children yield to her. Guilt was her weapon of choice and she wielded it like a skilled knight. "We love you and you know the only thing we've ever wanted in life is for our children to be happy. You can't be happy if you're dead because you were to stubborn to hire a body guard."

Ana cowered a bit under the gaze of her mother. Mother, that is what Vicki Steele was, not a step-mother. "I won't apologize when I'm not really sorry. I did learn that I wasn't made of Teflon though."

"Humor does not belong in this room Anastasia Rose Steele. Promise me you learned your lesson. Promise your mother right now that you will not leave the safety of your ivory tower, or the Steele castle without security." Ana stared into the aged brown eyes of her mother before risking a glance at her father. His patented eye brow raise told her she better agree to anything her mother said. "So, help me Anastasia, I will hunt down a doctor that will give me written permission to switch your backside if you don't promise me right now. Say it."

Oh lord, Ana thought. She struggled to not roll her eyes as she felt the heavy gaze of her mother on her. She had already let Luke call in a favor to get someone here. She knew she wasn't leaving the penthouse until she went to the office on Monday. "I'll hire whatever security Luke says I need to hire." It was the truth, but Ana hated the way she capitulated to Mama Steele so easily.

"That's our baby girl." Vicki leaned in and placed a kiss to her forehead and was just pulling back as Luke and Kate entered the room.

"Geeze Steele, you look like shit. Just because you got shot, you think you can laze around in bed looking like a bum. I swear I taught you nothing in all those years we lived together." Kate knew how to lighten the mood and soon they were all chuckling.

While they waited for doctor to discharge Ana, they went over what they knew and what they should release to the public. "Let the press know that I'm fine. I did have surgery last night to repair a tear in my arm but was not otherwise hurt. As far as I know there are no known suspects. We don't know if I was a target or if it was random. Any other questions can be referred to SPD. We can't comment further on an open investigation." Ana had watched Luke while she talked and something about the way he looked made her think he knew more than he was telling.

Kate helped Ana change her cloths and fix her hair while the others were it the hallway waiting on the doctor to show up with discharge papers. She refused to put on makeup, but she knew that the press would be clamoring for pictures when they left. Getting to the front of the hospital, Ana could see her car had been surrounded. The photogs were out in full force waiting for her. "Kate, I'm going to say a few words and hopefully that will get them to leave us alone enough to get to the penthouse without incident."

"Ana, you need to make it brief, and you have to stay in the wheelchair." Luke wasn't joking, if he had to keep a hand on her shoulders to keep her down in the seat, he would.

"Yes sir." Ana mock saluted Luke and tried to smile. She had asked to see the doctor that saw to her last night before leaving but was told she was in surgery with another patient. "Let's get out of here Lukey baby. My bed is calling to me and I'm praying Gail's made her potato soup." Ana's mouth watered at the thought of her favorite soup. She didn't know what her housekeeper did to it, but it was better than her mother's.

"I've already called Gail, she promised to have the soup ready. We both know it's better than Vicki's anyway. We're all going to the penthouse, and I don't want any lip from you about it, but your mother and I are taking up residency in one of the guest suites for the weekend." Ray had decided it was time the women listen to him for a bit.

"I'll agree if you promise to make your famous popcorn and we can huddle in the media room for an 80s movie marathon." Ana's favorite thing about being sick as a kid was getting to bundle up and watch movies with her father. When Vicki and Zack moved in, it became a family event anytime one of them was under the weather. Ana's favorites were the 80s movies they watched them over and over together.

"Feelin' the need for speed, are you?" Her mother winked at Ana as she said it. They both knew they loved to watch that movie for the volley ball scene.

"Woman, you're not fooling anyone. You two need to realize that those men are old and don't look like that anymore. Hell, that damn Tom Cruise doesn't even look as good as me anymore. I can take my shirt off and rub oil on me and walk around the apartment all weekend if that's what you want." Ana wanted to laugh, but she found herself a little disgusted at what that could do to her mother.

"Ewwww dad, do you think that we could skip that? What you and mom do in your own home is one thing, but I don't want to witness it. Zack and I hearing it the one time was enough to scar us for life." Ana cringed thinking of the time they came home from school to hear their mother's moaning.

"Okay, no foreplay till we're home. Got it." Ray laughed at his daughter's apparent discomfort. He had successfully loosened her up and gotten her to the door without her frantic fretting.

"Here goes nothing." Ana took a deep breath as she nodded to her family that she was ready to leave. The flash of cameras was immediate. Reporters were asking questions left and right and Ana had a hard time understanding what any one of them was saying.

A wolf whistle from Kate shut them all up. "If you can all calm down, Ms. Steele will say a few words and answer a couple questions. AS well, there will be a statement release from Steele House this afternoon. If you submit your questions to the PR department, we'll do our best to answer what we are able to." It was the diplomatic and vague response that Kate was so good at.

"Yesterday while I was leaving my favorite restaurant after dinner with Miss Kavanaugh, I was shot. The bullet hit my arm and there was some torn tissue that needed a simple surgery to repair. I am in perfect health otherwise and will be back in the office on Monday. Now I will answer just a few questions before I need to leave." Ana looked around and waited till she saw the raised hand of the young man toward the back. She recognized him and immediately pointed to him.

"Miss Steele, do you know who would target you?" She wanted to roll her eyes. She gave the guy a chance and that is the question he asks.

"No, I do not. I did not see the shooter. I receive threats every day at Steele Holding Enterprises. Some of them are jealous women, some are fanatic and obsessed men, some are rival business associates and bitter former employees. Take your pick. It could be any one of you." She looked around and saw a reporter with a white baseball cap on. She looked familiar. Ana called out to her.

"Susannah Davies, Channel 2 News, do you think this has anything to do with your hostile takeover of Seattle Independent Press?" Ana didn't know how she knew they were taking over the local publishing house, it wasn't supposed to be announced till next week just before the literacy gala.

"I can't say for sure that this had anything to do with our buyout of Jerry Roach's interest in SIP. We were set to announce the sale next week, but kudos to you on the scoop." Ana was genuine, the woman had a good source. SIP was owned by a group of brothers and sisters. Over the years, Jerry Roach had bought out his siblings except for one. Debra Morgan didn't want to sell. She didn't want the company to expand either. At this point SHE was going to have to take her to court to force her out of her six percent.

Before Ana could find another to answer she heard someone clear their throat to the right of her. She turned her head and saw a gentleman there looking serious with his pencil behind his ear and a recorder thrust in her direction. "Miss Steele, any truth to the rumors that you were secretly married last month." Aww he was from Seattle Nooz.

"No. Now if you all don't mind I would like to be able to safely get into my car and go home." Luke pushed her toward the car and soon they were all on their way to the penthouse. Ana fell asleep halfway there.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Seven chapters in out of 30. Our favorite two finally meet, but will it go the way either of them expects?**

 **This chapter serves only as a starting point. I know many of you will want more. For the FFN publication, this is broken into smaller portions than I normally post. More action will follow soon. Don't worry.**

 **As for the Grey Vitals update I promised. I spent part of the day yesterday unpacking the remains of our home and watched my husband incorrectly assemble two shelves. Today I had planned to complete the last half, but my eyes are burning. I think it's a byproduct of the cold that started in over the weekend, but they burn and hurt. I'm pushing it so that I may get this out today. Hang with me please, I promise you'll get the results of that dinner bombshell.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews, the Facebook comments and your general encouragement, it fuels my determination. By no means is this the final product for official publication. Someone asked if I plan to pull this before I finished publishing, the answer is no. I will complete the story. It will likely remain posted for a week or two, while I change names and characteristics back to my original characters. I will, with help, edit the chapters and make revisions before sending the file out to Amazon.**

 **Please don't think that I am under the assumption of becoming the next EL James or Nora Roberts, I know I won't. However, making a few bucks to put in the family vacation fund would be nice. Seeing my chosen name on the cover of a book will be priceless.**

 **LadyChamp, once again, I would never survive this if not for you. You're my best friend for a reason.**

 **I don't own FSOG or its' characters.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 7**

Ana spent the weekend hunkered down in her penthouse apartment, just as she promised Luke and her parents she would. As much of a daddy's girl that she is, Ana was happy when they left Sunday night. Vicki had helped her shower before leaving so that she wouldn't have trouble with her arm come Monday morning. As it was, Gail would need to help her dress. Ana only needed to wear the arm stabilizing brace for a few more days, but she needed to get back to the office. There was the SIP deal to finalize this week before the Gala, and Hannah had a deal going on in Portland that she needed to look over.

Hannah Vaughn was Ana's number two at SHE and one of the bitchiest women in the business world. She attempted to rip Ana's hair out after she won an internship between their junior and senior year. A forced peer mediation session between the two forced them to realize what a team they could create. When Ana found the first company she wanted to buy, she brought Hannah in. After their first year together, she named her COO and gave her a stake in the company. They weren't friends by any stretch of the imagination, but they worked well together. Kate once told Ana she was a genius for hiring Hannah when she did. "Took out the competition permanently." That's how Kate had worded it.

Ana waited for Luke to pick her up on Monday morning. She had elected to decompress over the weekend before meeting the new meat head she would call her shadow. In all honesty, Ana should be more concerned, more invested in her safety. However, Ana felt her parents and Luke did that enough for her. "Ana when we get to the office, Tate will be waiting for us. Do you want me to bring him in immediately or do you want to wait a bit?" Luke was in the back of the car with her, Ryan at the wheel once more.

"I can meet with him first so long as I have coffee." Ana didn't function without three cups before 9 am. She would be a bitch no one wanted to be around without it. One of the first things that Andrea learned was to have a cup waiting for her when she got off the elevator each morning. She had a fourth cup at 2 o'clock each afternoon as well. Andrea was a godsend and she kept Ana's attitude in check most days. Andrea wasn't afraid to tell Ana to dial the crazy back, nor was she afraid to tell her when she needed to chew someone up and spit them out. Yes, Andrea was the best damn assistant money could buy.

The ride up to the twentieth floor was silent. After all the looks she received in the lobby, Ana was happy for the private elevator. When the doors opened Ana was looking at her phone, walking automatically to her office. She didn't even look up when she passed Andrea and walked through her office door. Wait, the door was open. Ana stopped and twirled on her heels to see who was holding the door. She saw first the hand holding the door handle and followed the line of the dark suit covered arm, a strong muscled arm from the looks of it. Up over the broad shoulders and to the most perfect face she had ever seen. A strong jaw, covered in a full reddish-brown beard. Dusty, full pouty lips. His nose must have been chiseled be da Vinci. But it was the eyes, steely dove gray eyes. Perfectly symmetrical. Long lush lashes that made her jealous for the three coats of mascara she required for the same effect. It was a nice package, but the hair. Tousled Titian hair, a deeper red than she had ever seen. Who was this man?

Ana tried to shake the dizzying cloud created by the stud in front of her. She needed to regain control of herself. No man has ever affected her like this. Walking around the office, Ana went about her routine, ignoring the man that ignited something inside of her, something she'd never felt before. She stopped behind the door to hang her coat on the coat rack. She hadn't worn it, but it looked like it was going to rain later today. It always rains in Seattle. Next, she stopped at her mahogany desk settling her dual duty briefcase/purse on top of it. Andrea had already been in to turn on her computer and set out the files she needed for today. She unpacked what she needed and set the bag next to the desk.

Ana sat in her chair, pulling herself closer to the desk taking deep breaths. She needed to steal her nerves before she looked at the mystery man again. Luke had followed Ana into the office, bringing the mystery man with her. When she looked up both men were standing in front of the desk. "Gentlemen have a seat." She motioned to the chairs in front of the desk for the two men to sit in. Luke took his usual stance in the chair, leaning forward momentarily to hand a file over to Ana. The other man, the one she assumes is her new meat head. Wait, Ana thought. The man didn't belong to her. He was temporary muscle. That's all this man was. Ana ignored the man before opening the file and reading.

Christopher G. Tate.

D.O.B. June 18, 1987

Detroit, MI

Current Residence: P.O. Box in Chicago

No known physical address at this time.

Current Employer: None/Self-Employed

Last Employer: Jeremy Patton, Washington D.C.

Time with last employer: 7 months

Military service: 8 years with Army

Ranger trained, Top Secret Clearance

Discharged honorably July 1, 2013 as a Staff Sergeant

Attended Dallas Police Academy in August 2013

Graduated at top of class

Holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration

University of Phoenix in 2010

Ana continued to read the papers Luke had provided for her. He was thorough. She knew the members of Tate's family and that they currently resided in Seattle. She knew his bank account information and the current balance. The list went on and on. Frankly, Ana didn't care about most of it. This man was a war hero and he spent his days protecting people still. It was admiral.

"How do you like to be addressed Mr. Tate?" Ana looked at the man, enraptured by his eyes once again.

"Tate is what I respond to most often. I can't remember the last time someone used my first name to address me ma'am." Ana was saddened by this thinking of his mother.

"Does your family not use your first name?" Something passed behind the man's eyes, Ana was sure that it was pain.

"I'm not in regular contact with my family ma'am. I travel often and work assignments that don't hold regular office hours. It makes it difficult to keep up with what's going on in one's family." Tate's response is curt, betraying no emotion in reference to his family.

"Will you see your family while you are here?" Ana wanted to know how focused he was on the job, but she couldn't imagine not seeing her brother if she was in the same town as him.

"I will at some point, I am sure, but not this week. I want to get into a routine with you and find the best way for us to work together. What do you expect from me in this working relationship?" Ana observed the stoic detachment in which Tate spoke to her. She tried to tamp down the attraction she felt to the man, but the more she heard his voice, smooth like honey, the closer she wanted to get to him.

"I'm not use to someone knowing my every movement. I like being able to go for a run or to the grocery store whenever I want to without discussing it with someone else. I don't necessarily want to have to call you at 5 in the morning to say I want to run at 6 and wait for you to get there from wherever you live." Tate raised an eyebrow at Ana's comments and then turned to look at Luke. Ana saw some sort of silent communication pass between the two of them.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Tate's voice once again caused goosebumps on Ana's arms.

"Tell me what?" Ana was losing patience with the men. Something was going on and she didn't like not having all the information. She knew she was missing something vital.

"Ana," Luke started hesitant. He sat a little straighter and adjusted his smoothed his tie before he continued. "When I spoke with Tate last week, he had a few requirements." Luke started to list the requirements, but Tate held a hand up and looked pointedly at Ana.

"Ms. Steele, I told Mr. Sawyer here that I had some requirements to my work. In the case of close protection such as this, the first thing I need is either in home accommodations or close enough that if there is an intruder I can respond quickly." Ana really didn't like what she was hearing. Sharing her home with this man wasn't an option. She would have to talk to Gail and see if she objected to him staying in the extra room over there.

"What else is there?" Ana took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't going to like a lot of what was about to be said.

"For the next two weeks, until we've established patterns and routines, all meetings in town need to be moved to Steele House. Your driver needs to take an evasive maneuvers course during this time. Meetings that can't be moved, I need to know about immediately. I need to access the risk level before the meeting. I understand that you don't want to utilize close protection, but I think it is for the best. I have a buddy from Georgia that I would like to call in. He would be covert, and you would never see him." Ana wanted to be an ostrich and put her head in the sand.

"I have a meeting with my personal lawyer this afternoon. I'll have Andrea reschedule to move it here. Next week I must be at SIP to meet a few people. It can't be moved. I have a deal in the works in Portland. I could be called to travel down there at a moment's notice. We have a helicopter to make travel quicker. Everything else for the next two weeks was already scheduled for inside Steele House. Is there anything else?" She didn't like being told how to live her life. Ana had always been independent, it was the way her parents raised her. She worked hard for what she wanted and once she got it, she was responsible for it all her own.

"I will need a list of everyone you're meeting with 24 hours before seeing them. I will want background checks. Right now, anyone not in this room is considered a suspect until they can be ruled out. That includes your friends and family. I'm suspicious of everyone. It's my former military nature." Ana bristled at hearing that her family and friends were considered suspects, but she promised her mother to take this seriously.

"Andrea can get you that list. I have a live-in housekeeper. There is a staff quarters apartment attached to my penthouse. I will need to clear it with her, but there is an extra room there. If not, I have several spare bedrooms you can choose from. As for the shadowing thing, I would prefer that people outside of this not know that I have a bodyguard, especially one that is living with me. I consent to the covert, I don't want to meet this person though or I will always be looking around trying to find him." Ana stopped and studied the man across from him. He was good looking. She'll admit there is an attraction to him that she's never experienced before. There was just one thing. "Just one more thing."

Tate stared at Ana taking her in once more. Tate didn't want to think about what was under that suit she was wearing. He's served in Afghanistan, run covert ops in multiple foreign countries, but the woman behind the desk would be the death of him. Ana Steele will be the most difficult assignment he's ever had. "What is that Ms. Steele?"

Ana smiled, her most beguiling smile, knocking Tate off kilter just a bit. "You're going to need to shave."


	8. Chapter 8

4/24/18

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. This is the longest chapter so far, but I felt there were a few things needed in this one. Enjoy.**

 **I don't own FSOG or it's characters.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 8**

Monday was an afternoon Ana wished she could forget. She had nearly tripped over her tongue a half dozen times after Tate shaved. He didn't like the idea and was afraid it would make him stand out. "You don't want people to remember me." Ana had compromised, he had to shave off four inches of the thick beard. He could trim it so that it looked more like two days' worth of growth, but it meant that he had to trim it every day. Ana couldn't understand how the hair seemed curlier and redder once it was trimmed, but it did. Ana felt the butterflies every time he was close to her. No man's appearance had ever affected her to this degree and she hated it.  
The ride home was nearly unbearable. Ana had called Gail that morning to ask about the living situation. She suggested Ana put him in the guest room upstairs and furthest from the stairs. Gail didn't know the man and wasn't comfortable to share her small space with him. She promised to set the room up for him, gathering an assortment of male toiletries to stock the bathroom. She told Ana she'd be sure to pick up extra snacks. She knew what her Timothy was like as a teenager eating. Ana would have been fine with the man staying in that room if he stayed in that room. Instead, when she came out of her bedroom, having changed out of her suit, he was sitting shirtless at the breakfast bar talking with Gail like they were best friends.

Tuesday at work, Ana tried to project her bitchy CEO with a chip on her shoulder persona, thinking that would help. But instead, he asked Andrea how Ana took her coffee and brought her every cup she demanded. "I saw you last night in a Cowboys sweatshirt and leggings, I know you're not a high maintenance bitch, so stop acting like it." Tate was very forward with her. When she had thanked him after the third cup, Tate smiled and winked. His grey eyes sparkled, and it caused her breath to hitch. Once he had closed the door, Ana had to take three shuddering deep breaths to calm her nerves.

That night at home, Tate settled himself on the couch next to her and grabbing the remote. She couldn't believe the audacity he had to take it out of her hand like he had. "Game three of the final rounds. I need to watch the Warriors lose." Ana fumed. She had a night with no work to be done in her home office. She wanted to watch the finale to the newest crime procedural and argued with him over the validity of those type of shows. "I don't know why you're so upset. Those shows make up science most of the time. No way can you get DNA matches in two hours. No way are you going to analyze a speck of dust and triangulate it's where it came from in ten minutes either. These shows are shit. Even if that detective collected all the evidence herself like the show makes it seem, she's a detective. She's not in the lab running the tests. Trained techs do that, and it takes a lot longer to get results." They ended up watching her show, but only so Tate could point out every flaw in the evidence collected. When she left him to finish watching the game, she spent an hour in bed tossing and turning thinking about the man that was turning her life upside down.

Ana prayed Wednesday would be better. At this morning's department heads meeting, Ana explained the situation to everyone. They were reminded of their NDAs and that word of her bodyguard or the threat would result in termination and legal action. Her HR rep, Samantha Cassidy, had been blatant in her flirting, going so far as to ask Tate to dinner tonight. "I'm am in the employ of Ms. Steele. I'm not here for romantic entanglements." It was all the response he had given Sam before placing his hand on the small of Ana's back and guiding her back to her office.

There was a knock on her door, but before Ana could answer, Tate was inside. "I've got your lunch. Mind if I eat with you. I want to talk about a few things." Ana nodded her head noticing the bags in his hands. Ana came around her desk, stopping at the mini fridge for two bottles of water before joining Tate on the sofa where he was setting their food out on the coffee table. Handing a bottle to him, Tate accepted as he handed her a packet of plastic silverware. "Thank you. I brought you a steak and loaded baked potato. There is a Caesar salad as well. Please don't fill up on the salad. You need the protein, we're working out this evening."

Ana nodded her head. She had known that he wanted to work with her on some self-defense moves, she just hoped he took it easy on her. "You remember that I'm really a runner and a swimmer. The muscle I have is because of that. I can't bench and when I do use free weights, I never go above fifteen pounds. I'm unbelievably weak armed." Ana started to cut into her steak, wondering where he had gotten it from. Medium well, barely pink, just the way she liked it. Ana would bet $100 he asked Andrea for her preferences again. "This is good. Thank you."

"No problem. I had Andrea order and she sent that bimbo Olivia to pick it up. I almost didn't bother running her information. She's too stupid to be a criminal mastermind or to be helping one." Ana laughed because he was right. Ana had hired her as a favor to a senator, but he had told her not to feel bad if she needed to fire her the first day. According to the Senator, his daughter had a habit of husband-hunting where she worked. He had hoped that working for Ana where most of the executive employees are female, would mean that Olivia would focus on work. Ana would admit, Olivia was good at filing and answering the phone, but she wasn't good at much else. She jammed the copier at least three times a week and needed Barney to reset her computer password at least once a week.

"Olivia is a special case that's for sure. Be careful though. Her father warned me that she'd been fired from her last four jobs for husband hunting. She tried to fake a pregnancy at an accounting firm to trap a married exec there. She's been here five months. She listens to Andrea well and as long as Andrea says she can stay, she'll stay. Once Andrea tires of her, I have no qualms about giving her the pink slip. She's nosy and rude to my family sometimes. I want to say it's just because she's incompetent, but it's just the way she was raised." Ana paused in devouring her steak to take a drink of her water. "My father is a retired fireman. Before that, he served six years in the army. He's got a bum knee and is easily bored. Two years ago, I had a shop built on his property with brand new tools, all the best. He's good with his hands and makes beautiful furniture. In fact, he made my desk and the shelves on the wall over there."

Ana pointed to the wall by the door where the shelves were. She was proud of them. She was proud of everything her daddy ever did for her. "He came to eat lunch with me one day. He was in jeans and a battered gray t-shirt. His face was sporting a week's worth of growth, and he was covered in sawdust. Olivia tried to call security on him, but when Luke arrived and started laughing at the situation she made it worse. She insinuated the man was trying to impersonate my father, and she'd seen the photo on my desk. She knew he was an imposter. I had to laugh because Daddy looks completely different. That photo on my desk is ten years old. Dad was in a suit for the wedding of a friend. He looked like a different man. Olivia mistakenly assumed that I came from a family of means. She didn't realize that I shopped discount growing up to buy my Lucky Jeans or that I had worked hard to get a scholarship to be able to go to college." Ana took another bite of her steak before risking a look at Tate.

"What about your inheritance?" Christian remembered reading about an estranged aunt leaving her fortune to Ana. He had assumed that was what she used to pay her tuition and start her business."

"So, you are thorough. I didn't know about that until after my high school graduation. Up to that point, I was dependent on scholarships to pay my tuition. Let's save the discovery of family skeletons for another day." Ana didn't want to talk about her mother coming to her demanding her share when she told her. For years she'd been kept in the dark about a family she never knew. Ana had managed to find one cousin once she hired a private investigator. Lily was a nice girl living in New York City.

"Okay. I looked at your schedule for this afternoon. You've got two hours blocked off with your attorney. I'm going to be out of the building with Ryan. We're going down to the speedway to work on evasive driving techniques. Luke will respond to the distress button if you need it; I don't think that you will though." Christian had seen his father's name on her list and needed a legitimate excuse for not being around. If he could, he would have stayed in his office, but he couldn't risk being seen in the building. His father would ruin everything if he knew Christian was in town. It had been almost four years since the last time he came home to see his family. He talked to his mother once a week, but they all assumed he was still working with the Army, running ops with the rangers. He never told them about leaving active service. Christian had a troubled childhood before his adoption. Unresolved anger led to troubled teenage years and his fighting and drinking. When his father reached his breaking point, Christian was sent to a military school in South Carolina. It was what he needed to get his life under control. However, it left him feeling detached from his family and as if he never deserved his parents. Christian knew he loved his family, but his mother was the only one that had ever confirmed their love for him.

Christian tried not to think about those sorts of things right now. He needed to stay focused on the task at hand, protecting Ana. Shit, Christian knew he was in trouble. He had never been attracted to a woman like he was Ana. He teased her last night on the couch about the show she was watching, but in truth, he was teasing himself. Being so close to her and smelling her coconut shampoo drove him insane. Soon he'd be Pavlov's dog anytime he smelled coconuts. Her warm eyes held him captivated anytime they talked, and despite the brace on her arm, he could see the shape of the sexiest body ever under her Prada suit. Yes, Christian would certainly be in trouble with this assignment. Ana brought him out of his mental fog when she began to talk.

"Have you settled what you need to for tomorrow night? I can't skip it. The Seattle Children's Literacy Ball is being hosted by SHE this year to coincide with our purchase of SIP and another venture we have going with the city. How do you plan to execute your "keep everyone away" plan for such an event? People are going to be rushing me the entire night wanting to talk business." Christian smiled because he was surely going to hell with the plan he came up with.

"My covert guy will be in the shadows posing as regular security for the event. I will be escorting you and have you on my arm for the entire night." Ana chewed the last of her potato as Tate gathered his trash ready to the leave the office. What was he talking about escorting her and his arm?

"What are you talking about escorting me and having me on your arm?" Ana was genuinely perplexed and waited for Tate to answer her. She was gathering her own trash when he stopped at the door.

"You my dear are going to be my date." With that, Tate opened the door and left laughing while Ana was stood there gaping at his backside. Yep, trouble. It would be a long night tomorrow night. She needed to talk to Kate.

* * *

"Carrick thank you for coming today. I'm sorry that I couldn't join you at your office on Monday." Ana shook Carrick's hand before moving toward the large table at the back of her office.

"It's no trouble. Ms. Parker explained what happened last week. We were set to discuss setting up a trust fund for your niece, but I hope that I'm not being presumptuous. I brought the last copy of your will. I thought that you might like to go over it and update it as well. I understand that you gifted a percentage of the company to your COO a few years ago." Carrick was always professional with her. He never strayed into personal affairs that weren't his concern. He did give her the name of his son when she wanted someone local to renovate the SIP offices and the newest building she'd bought.

"Yes, I did. Hannah owns 5% of the company. It was a failsafe to keep her from going to a headhunter. I can be overbearing sometimes and the two of us are very much alike. We work wonderfully well inside these offices, outside we're like cats and dogs. Our partnership was born of a love-hate thing after a fight in school. As for the will, I think that would be a good idea. I want to make sure that there is no way for anyone to contest it, especially my birth mother." Ana had to make sure that woman wouldn't get a penny. She'd given her enough over the years when she called being greedy. Usually, SHE's lawyers took care of her. Last time she called, Carla wanted Ana to come to Atlanta and meet her new husband to be. Ana figured she bagged the investment banker by bragging about being the mother of Anastasia Steele. Bob Adams had called her office on several occasions requesting a meeting and sending in a prospectus on how he can make her money grow. Yeah, not going to happen in this lifetime.

"We'll make sure it's ironclad. As well as being filed at the courthouse, a copy will be held in your bank's vault and in the safe at my office. So, you still want the same percentages to your family?" When they first set her will Ana, wanted her father and Vicki to be taken care of. Now that Zack had a family of his own he wanted the future generations to be taken care of.

They spent the rest of the time going over clauses and breaking down percentages and stipulations for everyone she included in the will. Ana knew no matter what happened to her everything she worked hard for wouldn't be wasted. Her family would always be taken care of.

When he was ready to go, she asked him to go easy on Kate at Sunday's dinner. "Kate shouldn't have anything to worry about. I'm sure she's as lovely as her parents."

"You haven't met her brother. I sometimes find it hard to believe that the two of them come from the same family." Ana quieted her thoughts about Ethan. He was a mean son of a bitch and she hated thinking of him.

"Speaking of familial black sheep, have you heard from your mother recently?" Ana cringed. She knew CNN had picked up the story of her shooting. They were playing it up as something random, a mugging gone wrong. Ana was just in the wrong place.

"I'm waiting, CNN is running the story daily. There was a witness that sat down with a sketch artist. Have you seen it? The man was in a hoodie, she saw the bill of a baseball hat underneath. He was wearing sunglasses at eleven o'clock at night and he's got a full beard. It could be anyone from that description." Frankly, she expected her mother to call demanding money or she'd sell her story to TMZ. It was always the same threat.

"Well if you need me to obtain a gag order, you let me know." Ana nodded her head, simply because it was easier than saying a gag order wouldn't hush Carla Adams up.  
"I hear Kate and I aren't the only ones with black sheep in the family. She's worried about some mystery brother of Elliot's showing up to dinner and ruining everything. From the way she talks, Elliot doesn't really get along with him." Ana didn't know why she brought it up. Her and Carrick never strayed into personal topics.

"Christian was adopted a small child. He had unresolved issues and his mother and I failed to advocate for him the way we should have in the first years he was with us. As a teenager, he became argumentative and combative. He was kicked out of several schools. We thought we just needed to let him be, but it got worse and one fight too many led to us sending him to military school out of state. He's never forgiven us for that. He calls his mother often, but he's in the Army so it's been years since we've seen him. I can't even tell you where he is at this moment." Carrick's eyes held years of regret when he looked at Ana. No, he would never understand what had flipped inside of his son and kept him away all these years.


	9. Chapter 9

4/25/18

 **A/N: Thanks for the amazing words in your reviews yesterday. Seriously, writers wants your reviews more than you want your deleted Freed scenes.**

 **I don't own FSoG or it's characters. Please remember this story is being developed as an original and adapted to FanFiction for preposting. Once the story has been posted in it's entirety, it will remain on FFN while I edit my final draft. These chapters are rough drafts. A week before I send this story to Amazon for publication it will be pulled from FFN. If you're on my author Facebook page, thanks already. If not, you should find it, Steele Heart. Next month I will be changing the name to my publishing pen name. I'll also likely give away arc copies of the final version of Falling Undercover in exchange for reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.**

 **Shout out to the bestest bestie in the world, Lady Champ. An even bigger nod to my husband. He won't read any of this till he has a paperback in his hand, but he's the one pushing me the last few days to meet my goal, even if it means he has to spend an extra $10 to buy the Starbucks coffee I like and go to bed alone so I can type in peace. What can I say? I love him.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 9**

Kate had come in at the clutch once again for Ana. The doctor cleared her this afternoon to remove the arm stabilizer, but she had another week before they would remove her stitches. Until then, they had to stay clean and covered. Ana was thankful she had thought to ask Kate to find a new dress. Kate being the clothes whore that she is was able to locate an emerald couture gown with the required long sleeves with no problem.

"Ana, are you sure you want to play this game with the shadow? You might give him a heart attack." Kate had come over to help her dress. Ana's favorite hairdresser Franco had met them at the penthouse to do her hair and makeup. Ana now stood in front of the mirror smoothing her dress down. The heavy satin was shiny and looked perfect against her porcelain skin. The neckline was a deep plunging v, ending just below her bust line. The fabric gathered into a belt across the bottom of her chest, the bottom flared into a full skirt, but it was the mid-thigh high split that was just on the safe side of obscene. She sported a pair of emerald green heels. The toe of the shoe featured a silver frame for embellishment. Her hair sported soft waves, the right side pulled back from her face and secured by a vintage emerald and gold hair comb. The emeralds patterned into leaves. A beautiful pair of emerald drop earrings adorned her ears. Baguette shaped diamonds framed the emeralds and above the frame of diamonds was a large half carat round diamond. Kate had even procured a matching necklace, a large emerald dangling just above her cleavage. "You know that necklace is part of the Elizabeth Taylor collection. It's on loan for the night. Lucky for us you can afford to pay the three-million-dollar price tag if something happens to it. Otherwise, you'd have three armed guards all night."

Ana gaped at her best friend. She didn't dare question if she was serious or not, Kate was always serious about clothes and jewelry. "Thank you for helping me, Kate. I'd have been left with Gail to help me dress if not for you."

"Well, you're lucky the doctor wrapped the arm tight. Otherwise, Nana would need to come in here and take care of the wound for you. I love you Banana, but I don't deal with bloody flesh." Ana winced and hoped that Gail wasn't lurking.

"Be nice. Gail's only 38, you get caught calling her Nana again, and I'm not stopping her from taking her pound of flesh from your hide." Gail heard Kate call her Nana the first time and thought it was a Peter Pan reference. When she asked Kate about it, and Kate gave her a confused look, Gail had narrowed her eyes and warned her that she was still in her prime. She was a nurturer, but that didn't make her an old granny.

"Let's get you to your date." Ana groaned. She was not looking forward to playing pretend with Tate for the night. He made her practice calling him Christopher all day so that she wouldn't slip tonight. They walked out to the great room, Kate in front of Ana. Ana was enjoying being able to move her arm as well as she was now. The doctor warned her not to lift or push it too much till the stitches came out. He was confident that she wouldn't need physical therapy, which was a plus in Ana's opinion.

Ana was checking the contents of her satin clutch when she heard a sharp intake of air. Stopping in her tracks, Ana looked up and saw that she was only a few feet from Tate, Christopher. Damn, Ana thought to herself. She had to be careful not to slip tonight. He was standing in front of her in a black tux with a crisp white shirt and black bow tie. He'd trimmed his bear once again, and Ana had to admit that he looked better than ever.

"You look beautiful Ana." Christian was breathless, a state he was never in. He'd seen many beautiful women in his lifetime, but no one compared to the vision in front of him right now. He stopped to kiss her cheek, letting his lips linger a bit longer than was necessary. "We should go, Ryan is waiting downstairs in the car."

Ana took his offered arm and walked side by side with him to the elevator. Inside the enclosed space, Ana had to take several calming breaths. The energy buzzing around her was setting her libido on fire. Ana risked a look at Christopher and saw him looking at her as well. She'd seen a similar look before. Lust. Pure unadulterated lust. She looked back to the floor of the elevator and counted down from one hundred wishing for the doors to hurry up and open. She made it to seventy-four before they did.

* * *

The red carpet at the Fairmont was the same as always. Ana was quick to push Christopher along. They posed for a few pictures, but she didn't answer any questions or give his name out. Once inside the ballroom, it was a whole other game. "Relax. Just don't let go of me. I can be charming." Christian could feel the tension radiating through his charge, and he would be lying if he claimed he wasn't excited by her presence. Being enclosed in the elevator and then the car with her was torture. He needed her to relax though. Taylor had sent three men to watch around the ballroom, and he needed to keep a level head. They would report everything they saw to his boss.

"I need something to drink. I need you to help me though. I only ever drink one drink while I'm at these things. There is a dinner, and they'll serve wine. I'll sip it, but I won't finish the glass. Try to keep the servers away from me. They can get pushy when they're paid to deliver drinks." Ana hadn't had more than one drink in public since her college graduation. She tried to suppress the memory of that night, but the shiver she felt pass through her did not go unnoticed by Christopher. "Story for another time." It was the only thing she could give him in response to his questioning look.

For the next thirty minutes, Ana walked around holding her untouched champagne glass as the talked with the movers and shakers of Seattle's business elite. Just before time to sit down, Jack Hyde stepped into their direct path. Ana groaned inwardly. Jack Hyde's termination was the first objective SHE had once the ink was dry on the final paperwork next week.

Jack held his hand out for Christopher and Ana wished she had told him about Jack before coming. "Jack Hyde. Lead Editor of Seattle Independent Press."

Christian had seen many men looking at Ana tonight, but none had looked at her the way this man had. "Christopher Tate, Tate Securities." Tate Securities was a real LLC. It was a good cover, flawless.

"It was nice of you to guard our dear Anastasia here tonight." Jack leered at Ana licking his lips as his eyes raked over her.

"I'm not guarding her. She has other professionals for that. I'm her boyfriend." Christian moved his hand from the small of her back to around her waist and pulled her in close. "My company focuses on financial security for businesses. We set up roadblocks to prevent hackers from stealing their money." Ana nodded her head, Christopher had told her this would be the cover they told everyone outside the ones that already know the situation.

"Well isn't that fortuitous. I take it you work for SHE? That how you met?" Jack Hyde didn't hide his disdain for the man next to the woman he wanted more than anything he had ever possessed.

"No, we met in the park running. I don't work for SHE. Ana has her own security department to take care of that. I consult with smaller businesses, not international conglomerates." Ana smiled at Christopher; she was enjoying watching the pissing contest happening before her.

"Well, it must be nice to have a woman that takes care of the bill for once." Ana shook her head. That was the same train of thought that prevented most second dates for her.

"I don't need Ana to pay the bill at the end of the night for me. I do well enough for to take care of her for a change." Christian hated that this man saw Ana as a cash cow. Ana was looking up at him like he was the eighth wonder of the world and before he even thought about what he was doing, Christian had dipped down and placed a kiss to her neck, just below her ear. Christian caught a whiff of vanilla and coconut. Pavlov's Dog he thought.

Ana jerked her head ever so slightly and looked Christopher in the eyes. "Excuse us Jack, but I have someone I need to speak with before we sit down. I'll see you in the office next week." Ana knew it would be the last time she saw him, hopefully.

Christian allowed Ana to steer him away and toward a group of women, as she explained the hidden HR file, they found on Jack Hyde when they audited SIP's servers last month. "He's been screwing the head of HR so that she hides all the complaints. A week after each intern or assistant lodges a complaint, Elizabeth finds a reason to fire them. She even fabricated a relationship with an editor that had left the company the month before. She claimed the intern had received her position quid pro quo. Once the ink is dry on the paperwork, they'll be fired unless legal tells me otherwise."

Before Christian could respond to her and ask more about Jack Hyde, a tall woman stepped into their path, having turned from the group Ana was walking toward. "Anastasia Steele, as I live and breathe. I'm in the presence of greatness everyone." The woman had dark curly hair and if Christian had to guess he would say she was of Indian descent. "Rosalind Bailey."

The woman thrust her hand out to Christopher, and Ana snickered. If she had to say she had an archnemesis in life, it was Ros Bailey. "Chris, honey, this is the other woman that made the Forbes list with me." Yes, that's right, Ros was rich in her own right, but even at 17 on the list, her millions were nowhere close to Ana's billions. "She's the CEO of the Bailey Financial Group. I hear you just opened an office in Seattle, Ros."

Christian wanted to scratch his head. Ana had abandoned her champagne on a passing tray and was now rubbing his chest with her left hand, the right arm wrapped around his back. Christian tightened his hold on her in warning. She was playing with fire. Ana and Ros were trading verbal insults, and Christian had to think of Taylor in a tutu to keep his erection under control.

"Ros, I was sorry to hear that you didn't get the historic post office near downtown. It's a beautiful building." Ana smiled at Ros before she looked up at Christopher and winked at him.

"I know you're not sorry at all. I have it on good authority that SHE bought the building." Ros looks pissed, and Ana smiles. She did buy the building but not for the reason that Ros thinks she bought it.

"I paid the same as you offered, the city just liked my offer more. SHE is planning to renovate the building and turn it into a literacy center. There's going to be an adult outreach program as well as programs for all grade levels." It was a no-brainer when Kate suggested the idea. The city was announcing the plans for the building tonight during the dinner. Part of the funds from tonight would go to help fund the program.

"So, goody-two-shoes Steele wins again." Ros turned toward Christopher and smiled at him. Ana supposed it was supposed to be a come-hither type of smile, but it looked desperate to her.

"Ros, one of these days, you'll learn. I get everything I want eventually." Christian listened as Ana practically purred the words. He looked down at her, and before he could object, her hand was around his neck pulling him down. The minute their lips touched, bam.

Ana had never felt the tingle that graced her lips when she brushed them against his. She captured his thick bottom lip between her teeth and felt Christopher's tongue tease her top lip. They were lost in the kiss, oblivious to anyone else in the room. It wasn't a tangle of tongues, but it was full of passion none the less.

Christian pulled back the moment he remembered why he was there. He didn't know what men were here, but he was sure that this kiss would make it back to Taylor. Christian reminded himself this was a job. He had no room for personal entanglements. It always gets messy.

"We should find our seats." Ana's words brought Christian out of his internal struggles.

"Let's find where we are." Christian guided Ana through the tables. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sawyer at the edge of the room staring intently at them. Christian wondered what he was doing there. Luke didn't mention coming to the event. He had to remember to ask Ana if she knew he was going to be here.


	10. Chapter 10

4/26/18

 **A/N: You're all amazing. Now on with the show.**

 **I don't own FSoG or it's characters. Please remember that this is being developed as an original story and adapted for FFN posting before publication. It will only be available for a limited time after completion before it is removed. Find me on Facebook as Steele Heart. I'll be posting more information there as the time comes nearer.**

 **Laters,**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 10**

With dinner finished, Christian asked Ana to dance with him. He knew that Ana wanted to stay through the end of the evening. "Tell me how you do it. You spend all night schmoozing with these people; you remember each of their names and where they work and what they do there. Some of these people are pretentious pricks. If I wasn't here, how many would have hit on you tonight?" Christian didn't want to admit that Ana had such an effect on him. He was feeling obsessive in a way that was completely unprofessional.

"It's the nature of my job. These aren't fun events for me. They are business networking opportunities. Trust me; I wish that I could come here and support the cause, bring it the attention that it needs. Most of the people here see dollar signs when they see me walk through the door though. That means that they all want to talk to me. Some want an opinion about a deal they're working on. Other want to do business with me. Most of the ladies here want money from me for their organization." Ana hated these events most of the time. Tonight was different. She wanted literacy improved across the board. Seattle's homeless population was heavily laden with illiterate adults. Many of the public schools failed their state exams for reading. There just wasn't funding for the necessary tutors. Even the city's public library was falling behind in funding to purchase new books.

"Tonight," Ana sighed. "Tonight is supposed to be about the literacy issues in the city. There is a large homeless population that is illiterate. If they can't read and write, how can they find gainful employment? The children in the elementary schools are failing their state reading exams. Classrooms are overcrowded, and teachers can't give each child enough attention. The school districts don't have enough in their budgets for private tutors. Many of the high school students are scoring low on their SAT's strictly because they can't read fast enough. That post office building I stole out from under Bailey, it's going to change all of that. Half the money tonight will go to The Greater Seattle Area's Literacy Center. SHE is matching the donation and promising to provide the same amount equal to the entire pot for the next five years to fund the programs. Literacy in Motion isn't happy about having their fund cut in half from tonight, but they will get over it. They've not accomplished what they have promised to do in four years."

Christian listened to the drive in Ana's voice when she spoke. He could tell she cared. Christian had heard his mother many times when he was younger talk with such passion. He knew she still chaired Coping Together and that she held the ball every year, but he always declined the invitation when she called. Christian had not visited the pain of his early childhood in years. It was easier to pretend none of it ever happened. He had vowed many years ago to never think about the issues that led him to military school. That was a decision that Christian still hadn't resolved and forgiven his family for. It was part of the reason why he stayed away from them for the most part. Abandoned. That was how he felt when his father handed him the duffel bag he had packed and directed him to get on the plane.

Christian shook his head and tried to clear the fog of his trip down memory lane. "I find it admiral that you are genuine in your concern. Many of these people are here supporting the cause just to be seen here. They don't care, and tomorrow they'll be scouring the papers to see if their perfect hair was featured. Next week they'll do it again with a new cause. You, however, are genuine and true to what you feel in your heart. I've watched you all week. You act like a bitch to the men that expect to see a bitch when she's buying their company. You fight to save as many jobs as you can when you're done with the deal though. When you're at Steele House, you're polite to those that work on your floor. You greet the receptionist on the bottom floor every morning, but when it came to your department heads meeting, you were back to being the bitch. You're true to yourself for the most part. But you still give people the persona they expect to see."

By now, Ana was leaning into Christopher. He was holding one of her hands, and her other was wrapped around his neck, playing with the hair brushing the top of his collar. Christopher had one arm wrapped around her back and was pulling her closer. She heard each of his words as it was whispered in her ear. He had told her he didn't want others to overhear their conversation and blow his cover. Ana was happy with their position though. She ached to lean up and kiss him again. Ana knew Christopher had a job to do, but she couldn't help the thoughts the man evoked in her mind. She'd never been attracted to a man like she was with him.

Christian was lost in thought, looking around the room, scanning to make sure the men Taylor had sent were watching. He wanted to see if he saw Sawyer again. Christian hadn't seen him since that brief slip earlier. Christian wanted to think that it was a slip, his mind playing tricks on him, but he knew with 100% certainty that he had seen Luke there. The question was why was he there and where was he now. Without being conscious of it, Christian started stroking up and down Ana's back.

"That feels good." Ana's simple statement brings Christian from his mental laps around the room. He immediately stops what he's doing, in the middle of the floor taking a step back from Ana.

"Let's get a drink." Ana saw something flash behind Christopher's eyes. She can't identify it, but she feels rejected with his abrupt end to their dance. Ana had only taken three sips of her wine at dinner. She never drank the champagne from earlier. She could use a drink.

"Sure." They start to move of a dance floor when Ana spots a waiter coming straight to her, his tray held to the right of him carrying a single glass of champagne. Perfect. Ana stops and takes the glass before Christopher can get the two of them to the bar and immediately drinks it down. "That was good champagne. They usually serve cheap stuff at these events."

Christian knows his eyes are wide as he stares at her. Christian hadn't seen her drink a glass of alcohol that fast all week.

"I'd like something stronger now. Let's go lover boy." Now Christian knows his eyes are getting bigger as he stares at Ana like she's grown a second head. "Don't be a party pooper, Christopher. I've had to deal with all these fake ass bitches all night. I want another drink, and then I want to dance with your sexy ass some more."

Ana reached for Christopher's hand wondering why he's suddenly acting restrained and pulling away. "Maybe you shouldn't have another drink so swiftly. Let's dance some more."

Christian pulls Ana back to the dance floor taking her into his arms for yet another slow dance. She's pressed up against him completely now, purring like a kitten. "I've never been one to take notice of a man before. You, Christopher, you had my attention the minute I realized someone had opened my office door for me."

Christian is out of his league. He doesn't think that she's drunk, but she's sure loosened up. "I was attracted to you as well, but I have a job to do. Whatever this is Ana, it can't be real. Tonight we're pretending. We're good at the pretending, but that's all it can be."

Ana lurches back from Christian and looks into those steel gray eyes that have her so enraptured. "So you don't want to go back to the penthouse and join me in bed tonight?" She's feeling dizzy and not sure why she's saying the things she's saying. "I want you, Christopher. I've never wanted another man, just you." Ana rubs a hand up and down his chest, watching her fingers glide across his chest toward his abdomen. "I want to see the promised land. Kate promises me it's great for relieving stress."

Fucking Hell. Christian doesn't know what's going on. Ana's hand continues to travel south, and he grabs it to stop her movements before she has a chance to molest him. Not that he wouldn't welcome that any other day, but something isn't right. "Ana I don't think you know what you're saying."

"Of course I don't. I've never had sex before. Well, sex that I was conscious for. Wanna be the first?" Christian drops Ana's hand and takes her chin between his thumb and forefinger, titling it up to see her eyes. "Shit Ana." Her pupils have completely dilated. Christian is cursing himself. She's been drugged. He knows that he needs to get her to the hospital. "We need to find Ryan."

Christian digs into his pocket to call Ryan and Luke while he directs Ana out of the ballroom. Ana is giggly, and he knows some people will assume that she's drunk. The cameras are still blinding them as he gets Ana into the back of the car with Ryan at the wheel. People are yelling out questions left and right, but thankfully Ana didn't try to answer any of them, just waved goodbye with her whole arm. "Ryan get us to the ER immediately. Someone's slipped Ms. Steele something in her champagne. I need to call Sawyer and have him meet us there."

Once that call is made, Christian takes a deep breath before he places his next call. "Taylor."

"Someone put something in Ms. Steele's champagne she had after dancing. Find that glass and get it printed." Christian hung up immediately not wanting to risk having to answer any further questions. It's possible that Ryan may be listening closely and he doesn't want to let on to who he really is.

"Chrisssstopherss, I don'tss fweel sso goooood." Ana is in the car slumped next to Christian.

"I know you don't sweetheart. We're going to take you to see a doctor who'll fix you right up. Ryan drive faster."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates the last few days. For those of you that have followed me for months, you are of my health issues. This weekend wasn't a good weekend for my nerves. The moments I was able, I focused on my writing so that I could complete my goal and less on editing. But have no fear, I'm back on track. This just means that a few says this week will likely hold double updates.**

 **My regular stories will get back to updating next week.**

 **I want to clear something up though. I've had a few confused reviews and messages. Christian Grey is Christopher Tate. Tate is the name CG s using undercover. When you see that name being used, it is because Ana or Luke are thinking of him or talking to him. When we're slipping into things from CG's point of view, you'll see Christian.**

 **I don't own FSoG or it's characters. Please remember that this story is being written as an original story and being adapted for FFN posting ahead of publication.**

 **Those of you that have reviewed, thank you. I appreciate the kind words from everyone. Also, someone nominated Falling Undercover for top Work in Progress in the Facebook group** **Top Five FSOG Stories.** **Voting will start May 5th, and you must be a member of the group to vote. The Steele Stories was also nominated for favorite series. I appreciate the love ladies.**

 **Laters.**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 11**

Ryan was able to efficiently traverse the downtown Seattle traffic to reach the hospital in record time. Christian didn't wait for the car to fully stop before he gathered Ana in his arms and rushed her inside. "We need help over here!" He shouted getting the attention of several members of the staff in the entry bay of the emergency room.

"What's going on sir?" A nurse in light blue scrubs walked up to Christian, and he looked at her exasperatingly.

"We were at an event, and I think someone slipped something into her drink. She passed out almost ten minutes ago." A male nurse and another female quickly moved a gurney form the hallway for him to set her down. He listened as the nurse demanded that someone page the doctor on call. While the nurses continued to talk to each other, they directed Christian to a room and started asking him questions about her condition before she passed out.

"We were dancing and took a break so she could get something to drink. A waiter walked over to her with a glass, the only one on his tray. She drank it faster than I think she would normally, but then we started dancing again. She was okay for a few minutes until she started talking non-sense. I got her to the car thinking it might be the alcohol. She started slurring her words, I could tell her heart was racing, and her breath has was ragged since she passed out. Tell me my girlfriend is going to be okay." Christian didn't panic, but he was worried for Ana and pissed that this happened on his watch.

"Sir," The nurse tried to speak calmly to Christian as she watched him run his hands through his hair nervously. "Sir, we're going to do everything we can for her. I need you to step outside though. We're going to have to undress her and get her into a different gown. We need to start an iv as well."

"You're delusional if you think I'm leaving her in here alone with all of you in here. It's not me being macho either. That's Anastasia Steele, and until her head of security gets here, I'm not leaving her." Christian was exasperated at the moment. He wanted to stake his claim as her CPO but saying he was her boyfriend all night had done something to him. Christian wanted to say more, but the door behind him opening had him turning around ready to attack. Well, he'd have attacked if he hadn't seen who it was first.

"Tate, the hell happened man?" Luke appeared in a pair of sweats and white t-shirt. "I thought you said everything would be safe for her tonight?"

"Well I assumed with me and her covert she'd be fine, but you didn't. That's why you showed up right?" Christian knew that he saw Luke and Luke had been dressed in a tux while he was there. What he didn't understand was why it took him twenty minutes to reach the hospital and why he was in a different set of clothes when he did.

"I'm not sure what you were talking about. I was at home when you called." Luke knew it was a risk going tonight. He hadn't wanted to upset Ana; he just wanted to see for himself how they interacted tonight. Luke wasn't impressed. He had seen the way that Ana had kissed Tate, and he didn't like it one bit. The guy was supposed to watch out for hidden dangers, not give her a tonsil exam.

"You live three blocks from the hospital. If you were home, you would have beat us here. Try again shit stain. Make yourself useful. As Ana's head of security, go secure something. Find a doctor. As her boyfriend, I'm not leaving her alone." Luke's eyes bugged out. He knew it was the cover that Ana and Tate were using for the night, but he hadn't expected the lie to be perpetuated outside the event. Before he could say anything, the room's door opened once again. Luke was cursing himself for stopping to change as he did. He'd left his gun on his dresser.

"Ms. Steele, we meet agai…" The doctor entering the room stopped short when she saw the two men blocking her path to her patient. "Oh."

Christian watched his mother's hand fly to her mouth. He had to think fast. "Doctor, thank you. I'm Christopher Tate; my girlfriend was drugged tonight." Christian stuck his hand out hoping she would understand. Grace Grey was the only member of his family that knew he wasn't in the military anymore and that he was with the FBI. He had told her at Taylor's urging. Someone needed to know how to contact him if there was a true emergency. Grace hadn't seen him since he came home to tell her about his new life.

"Miss Steele sure is a trouble magnet. I heard from my colleague that her arm was doing better today. Let's see what we have going on." Grace sidestepped her son and the man she remembered being introduced to as Luke Sawyer last week. She hated doing these ER rotations, but their current department head was out on maternity leave, and she was helping to fill out their schedule with a shift a week. "Mr. Sawyer, sorry to see you under these circumstances again."

Luke nodded at the doctor while he pondered her reaction to seeing Tate in the room. He knew that whoever Taylor sent him would be one of his former men. Taylor only worked with the best, but Luke hated the way this guy had bonded with Ana so quickly. Things didn't add up the way he thought they should. The last three days Ana had lunch in her office with Tate. Every night they went home together. She heard the two of them arguing this morning about TV. What the hell was going on when they were outside of Steele House? And what the hell was going on between the two of them?

While Grace got an update from the staff about Ana, she started to rattle off a list of orders. Blood work, pushing fluids. "Chris, do you know how long ago she passed out?" Grace had to consciously stop herself from calling him Christian.

"She lost consciousness about thirty minutes ago," Christian replied to his mother, worried as he confirmed the times on his watch. "She was slurring her words and said something didn't feel right."

"I'm going to run a tox screen, it'll tell us what she was given and what we can do, but most times, we have to let these things run their course. Bringing her here was the safest thing for her though. What was her behavior like before you realized something was wrong?" Grace took the syringe from the nurse and pushed the medication into Ana's iv line. Her heart rate was elevated, and Grace was sure she would regain consciousness when it lowered.

"Ana doesn't like to drink. She carried one glass around the hour before dinner, pretending to drink, but never taking a sip. At dinner, they poured a glass of red wine. She took three sips, but mainly stuck to lemon water. After we danced and during a break, a waiter walked to her with a glass of champagne. It was the only glass on the tray, and I was surprised to watch her drink it as quickly as she did. We went back to the dance floor, and that's when she started acting weird. She was forward in a way that wasn't Anastasia. She was talking differently too. She said something about sex, and it sounded strange to me the way she said it. Like the words were out of order. I tilted her chin up and realized her eyes were almost completely dilated. I assumed someone slipped something into her drink." Christian hated seeing Ana that way. He knew the minute said she hadn't had conscious sex before that something wasn't right. Maybe she meant she wanted sex till she was no longer conscious. He didn't like thinking she'd been truthful. Ana didn't seem like the kind of person to pass out with random sex. Maybe that's why she doesn't drink anymore. Christian nodded to himself. That had to be it. She had to have done the college drunken walk of shame to many times and not remembered who she was had been with.

"Sounds like liquid ecstasy. There's a new version we've been seeing around. It's longer lasting, only one drop needed and it doesn't need to be stirred in the drink. Street name for it is sprinkles." Grace was going to say more, but Ana was making sounds again. Grace watched her son rush to the side of the bed and grab Ana's hand.

"Baby, wake up." Christian didn't know what had come over him, but he was feeling guilty and couldn't tear himself away from Ana. He knew he would have to talk with his mother at some point, but it couldn't bee right now. Brushing her hair from her face, Christian continued to plead with her. "Ana open your eyes for me, sweetheart."

"Uggh, wh, wha, what's go goin on?" Ana moved her head around trying to find the source of the brown sugar voice talking to her. "Wh, Where am I?"

"Ana, baby, you're at the hospital. Someone put something in your drink. Open your eyes for me." Christian begged to see her azure eyes. He knew his mother was an amazing doctor, but he wouldn't believe the "run it's course" prescription till he knew she would be alright.

"Christopher." Ana's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw the wild gray ones staring back at her. She tried to smile, but her whole head hurt.

"Ana, it's Doctor Trevelyan. Do you remember me?" Ana turned her head to look at the woman standing at the foot of her bed. Grace Trevelyan Grey stood before her in a pair of black scrubs, with a white long sleeve shirt underneath the top. Her long air was pulled back into a low ponytail, and the poor woman looked aged beyond her years.

"Hi, doctor. Sorry to see you so soon again." Grace was thankful to see Ana alert. She knew that it wouldn't last, the poor girl would want to sleep again soon. Aa the drug worked it's way out of her system she would be lethargic.

"Don't you worry about it, sweetheart. Your boyfriend did good getting you here so fast." Ana was thankful that Christopher was still using the boyfriend card. She didn't want people to know how spooked she was after last week. Ana looked at Christopher and smiled, then looked around the room. One nurse stood was in the corner at the computer typing something up. Luke was near the door in sweats and a t-shirt standing with his arms crossed, looking pissed.

"Luke, you okay back there?" She tried to wave him forward, but lifting her arm was harder than she thought.

"I'm fine." Luke was chaste in his reply. He would wait till Tate wasn't in the room before he laid into her. Luke didn't need an audience for the things he wanted to say. He was going to lay down a few more ground rules with her or call Vicki again.

"Ooookay." Ana sensed that something was wrong with Luke, but she didn't want to talk about it right now. "Chrisss, I'm sssleepy." She felt unbelievably tired.

"Go to sleep baby. I'm going to step into the hallway to make some calls. Luke will stay here with you." Christian kissed Ana's forehead as she closed her eyes and nodded to Luke as he walked passed him, holding the door open for his mother. If he didn't talk to her now, everything could be compromised.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Next week will likely see double chapter postings on some days. This week I'm sticking to one chapter a day though. You should also look for updates to my other stories starting next week. I'm not sure what regularity I'll be posting with for them, but I'm going to try and get it out for you. Thank you all for being so patient with me and this experiment.**

 **As of right now it looks as though this story won't hit amazon until after Memorial Day. I hope to have the last chapter posted before the 15** **th** **so that I can leave the story as a whole on FFN for at least a week before it's completely pulled. Once the book is uploaded to Amazon, it will be removed from FFN. Be sure to find my Facebook, Steele Heart, and add me as a friend. As I post my last chapter for this story, I will reveal my publishing pen name there first.**

 **Again, thank you to everyone that has joined me on this journey. I appreciate the encouragement more than you know. Be sure to find the Facebook group TOP FIVE FSOG STORIES so that you can vote for all your favorite stories this month, including Falling Undercover for the top work in progress and Steele Heart Stories for favorite series.**

 **I don't own FSOG or it's characters. This story is in development as an original story and formatted as a FF for pre-posting and feedback. Please review.**

 **Last bit, the Sisterhood group has started posting the one-shots for the Days of Fifty challenge 2. Be sure to follow and review each chapter to show your support. Be on the lookout, I've got a story in there somewhere.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 12**

"Doctor, if you'll follow me please I would like to ask you a few questions before I make my phone calls." Christian needed to get his mother away from Ana's room door and talk to her before anyone could blow his cover.

"Right this way Mr. Tate." Grace steered her son toward the doctor's lounge at the end of the hall. She had a few questions of her own, but mainly she just wanted to be able to hug him. It's been nearly four years since she'd seen him face to face and Grace was convinced he looks like he's aged ten years in that time. What his job must be doing to him. Grace ensured the room was empty before pulling her son in and shutting the door behind him.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Christian wrapped his mother in a hug that was years overdue. "I'm sorry I haven't called mom." He held her to his chest, one arm wrapped around her waist and another stroking the top of her head. Grace's arms were wrapped securely around her son's middle as she sobbed into his chest.

"My baby boy's home, don't ever apologize for coming home." Her voice was a whisper, and Christian felt his breath catch as he heard her words.

"I'm undercover mom. I can't be Christian Grey while I'm here. Christopher Tate. You and I never met before today. I can't tell you any more than that it's connected to the case I've been on for the last few years." Christian's weekly calls to his mother were always sad affairs. She called him when she worked a night shift at the hospital knowing that no one at home would hear their conversation. The relationship between Christian and his father and siblings was tenuous at best. For over fifteen years she's felt guilty for failing Christian, but she wouldn't let the discord sown by others put cracks in the foundation she had built with Christian at the tender age of four.

"I know son. You'll have to find a way to meet me for lunch sometime while you're here though. Your father is going to be in New York next week, and Mia's too busy with her party planning business to spare me a glance anymore. Elliot's not around if your father isn't. You don't have to come to the house, but I want to see you. Please." Christian sighed. He wanted to spend time with his mother. She understood why Christian stayed away from the last family dinner he attended. He could likely make amends with his father, Mia only needed the right pair of new shoes as an incentive, and she was your best friend. It was Elliot that he stayed away from and avoided at all costs. Their relationship is what caused the strain on their family. Christian has always blamed Elliot for being the reason he was sent to military school.

"I'll see what I can do. I can't make any guarantees, but I promise to try and find the time. It will most likely need to be an afternoon lunch when I can secure protection for Ana in my place." Christian knew he would do everything in his power to keep a promise to his mother. She was the one person in the world he was most afraid to disappoint.

"That's all I can ask. You know I'll always welcome you home, don't you? You don't have to stay away." Grace had wanted her son home since the day her husband drove him to the airport when he was fifteen. She didn't even get to see him to the gate.

"It's easier for me to stay away." Christian has always wanted to spare his mother the heartache from his strained relationship with the rest of the family. "They all think I'm out of the country as it is. If I just show back up after not talking to them all, they'll be suspicious. Dad and Elliot will freak out when they learn that you and I've been talking weekly." Elliot would be the one to put a fight more than anyone.

"They'll get over it. You're my son. You mean just as much to me as they do." Grace's heart broke. She knew that Christian felt abandoned by his father and siblings. She knew he was a tender-hearted boy when she saw him that day in the hospital. She took one look at him and knew he was meant to be her son. Fate has a funny way of working like that. Christian spent three weeks in the hospital. When no family members came forward, Social Services let Grace and Carrick take him home. They had Elliot, and he was Carrick's son through and through. He was hesitant to a new brother at first, especially one that didn't come home as a baby like his best friend's did. For two years Christian struggled. Then the Grey's brought Mia home. Christian was determined to be the best big brother to her. He did everything she asked, including dress up, Barbie's, and tea parties. Christian didn't care to play sports. He would rather bake with his mother or read. He liked playing with Mia. The few times he did ask to play with Elliot he was ridiculed and bullied.

Christian remembers the day his father had declared enough was enough. Christian was expelled from his second school in a year. He knew what his parents thought, but he was too scared to tell them the truth. He knew his father thought he was the one stealing from their liquor cabinet and drinking all his best scotch. He knew that his father assumed the empty beer cans and cigarette butts in the pool house belonged to him. Elliot never owned up to his mistakes. He put the blame squarely on him. When a boy at school talked about catching Mia on the playground though, Christian knew he had to do something. Elliot egged it on, and he knew what Christian would do. He knew what the result would be. Christian breaking the kid's rib had been the icing on the cake. Christian pleaded with his father to tell his side of the story, but Elliot backed up the other kid's version of events. He was minding his own business when Christian started cursing at him and threw the first punch.

Christian had expected the grounding. There was only a week of school left anyway. His mother promised to find a new school over the summer. Carrick Grey, however, had other plans. He knew it was only a matter of time before his son caused a scandal that would rip throughout Bellevue society. He promised Grace he would give Christian one more chance, but then he was going to military school. Carrick didn't wait to see how Christian would do. He found the strictest school the furthest away from the family and set everything up. It would take one phone call, and there would be two instructors ready to meet Christian at the airport in twenty-four hours.

Christian needed to redirect his thoughts before his anger started to rise. He'd worked for years to quell the desire to smash his brother's face in and thinking about the last day he spoke to him would not calm him any. "I need to get back to Ana. Walk me back out please." Christian didn't want to leave his mother, and he knew she would retreat to her private office soon and cry. He could always hear the tears when they readied to say goodbye.

"You find time next week and let me know. I only need an hour, and as long as I'm not in surgery, I'll be there. We can go to that little mom and pop diner by the zoo. You always loved that place." Grace smiled at her son as she followed him to the hallway.

"Sounds perfect." Christian smiled at his mother, and when he thought they were close enough to be heard, he went back into undercover mode.

"Is there anything else I should be worried about when I get her home tomorrow Dr. Trevelyan?" Christian could see Sawyer out of the corner of his eye. Grace was leaning back against the wall looking toward Ana's room as well.

"She most likely won't remember any of the events from tonight after drinking the champagne. If she asks what happened, be as honest as you can with her. She'll be embarrassed, but it's better than feeling like she's missing something. Be reassuring. Her vitals are stable now; she just needs to sleep it off. We're keeping her overnight because we've seen so many people react badly to the drug. I'm still waiting for the toxicology report, but I can almost guarantee it's the ecstasy. I'll have to file a report with the police department. It's a cooperative campaign to combat drug use. We won't give her name without consent, but I will report that there was an attempted date rape. No matter what you think, that's what this was. The drug is only good for two things, loosening inhibitions and promoting compliance." Christian shuttered to think what might have happened to Ana had he not been there tonight and recognized the signs.

"Thanks. I'm going to get back to Ana now." Luke had been listening from Ana's doorway to the tail end of Tate's conversation with the doctor. He looked sullen, and that worried him. He was afraid the bodyguard was forming an unhealthy attachment to his friend.

Before Tate walked away, the doctor rubbed his arm. "Don't be a stranger." Luke heard a suggestion of familiarity in her voice. Luke was led to believe that Tate and the doctor didn't know each other already, and he wondered why they seemed so comfortable with each other.

"Is she still asleep?" Luke hadn't noticed Tate approaching him while he wondered about his connection with the doctor.

"Yeah, she's out. I assume that you're going to stay with her tonight." Christian didn't know why Luke thought otherwise. The job was twenty-four hours.

"She gave me a rundown about her parents. I don't know if you've called them yet, but I figured I would wait until the morning and let her call them. She's going to be embarrassed enough as it is without them rushing down here frantic again." Christian remembered how she described her parents. Overbearing, but in the best of ways. Those were her words. From her description, he knew that they would steamroll into the hospital and fret over her in her unconscious state.

"I agree. Her mama's gonna be mad we didn't call, but I don't think anything made it to the press yet. I'm going to call Kate on the way home, and she can gather her team to monitor the situation and get ahead of it if need be." The truth was, Luke hoped to keep this one quiet. He didn't want to encourage copycats. He still didn't have a concrete list of suspects and was getting frustrated. "I'll be here in the morning to help you get her home. She's not coming to the office. I'll text Andrea and let her know to clear her schedule for the day. Keep her inside tomorrow. Saturday she'll want movies and ice cream, but by Sunday she's going to be begging to go outside. Call me when she does. I want to see if increasing the presence around her helps the situation any."

Christian nodded because he agreed. "I'm not sure if last week's events and tonight's are tied up with the threat. It's all too coincidental for my liking. For now, we work on the assumption that the same man is behind it all. I'm going to convince Ana to report this to the Police tomorrow. We need to keep them in the loop because when this all comes to a head and make no mistake it will, it's going to be ugly. I didn't carry tonight because I had a covert in the shadows, but I'm going to carry no matter what from now on. I suggest you do too. I'm going to need to find range time next week. I've not fired my weapon in a while. I'll need you to stay with her when I do that."

Luke agreed. He'd been carrying since the shooting last week, even though he knew Ana didn't care for guns. "I'll see you tomorrow." Luke left, praying his friend would be alright tomorrow. He'd need to find time to talk to her about tonight's events without Tate around. He wanted to make sure she understood that he was temporary, he didn't even have a permanent address. He had a p.o. box and two duffel bags. Luke needed more information. Resolved to call Taylor in the morning to find out what he knew, Luke bid farewell and left the hospital.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: You're awesome. That is all for today.**

 **I don't own FSoG. Please be kind, no need to rewind, just review. Now on with the show.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 12**

Christian had been correct when he said Ana would be embarrassed Friday morning. She was mortified. As it was the Seattle Nooz had posted a photo of them getting into the car and claimed she'd been drinking heavily all night. They still wanted to know Christian's identity. Thankfully they didn't get a good enough photo that his sister would recognize him. She would be the one that would read the trash and share on social media who he was.

Ana was thankful that Christopher had waited to call her dad. He was glad to hear she was okay and agreed to not check up on her at the apartment as long as she was being watched by someone else. Kate showed up shortly after their arrival at the penthouse. She was in damage control mode. Ana had a pristine image, one of a do-gooder who supported many foundations. There were several deals in the works that would suffer from negative press, including Hannah's Portland deal.

"Steele, what the hell happened last night? I leave you alone for a few hours with John McClain over there, and you get roofied." Kate was ever her boisterous self. She strutted into the penthouse like she owned the place and didn't stop till she reached the breakfast bar where Ana and Christopher were huddled. "Seattle Times, Seattle Nooz, The Huffington Post, The National Enquirer, all have pictures of you from last night. The Nooz is the only one reporting the story of you being drunk. CNN called for a quote an hour ago. They wanted to know the validity of the report. I directed them to the Police Department. We're issuing a press release in thirty minutes with the news of you being drugged."

Christian looked through the papers and was thankful to see that all but the Nooz printed photos of her on the stage last night talking about the new literacy center. He watched Kate as she dropped her over-sized purse on the floor next to the bar and walked to the fridge. "Anyone want something to drink. I'm grabbing water." Ana and Christian both declined as they were already drinking from full glasses poured by Gail only moments before Kate's arrival.

"Was there anything you needed from us for the press release?" All morning long Ana's voice had been meek and clouded with her embarrassment.

"Nah, I got to talk to your doctor this morning before she signed your discharge papers. Between her and the Drug Task Force at the Seattle Police Department, I'm covered. SHE has decided to send out a date rape fact sheet along with helpline numbers. We're touting the cleverness of your boyfriend, no name, for being observant enough to realize you weren't acting like yourself. I've been told that all the wait staff from last night's event were being interviewed today, but it could have been anyone last night. From my understanding, someone could have dropped the drug in the glass as the waiter was passing by without anyone noticing. There was no need to stir the drink to hide it's taste either. I did have something I wanted to run by you though." Kate looked at her friend apprehensively. She knew that Ana hated to do public speaking events, but she felt this one was needed.

"You've got me worried Kate. What is it?" Ana didn't like the way Kate looked at her. There was an underlying appearance of guilt, pity, and fear in her eyes. She understood the pity but not the others.

"It's been almost five years. I think that you should rethink a few things and take care of some matters before it gets too late. Also, I want you to speak at one of the local campuses about the dangers of date rape and ways to try and prevent it. I know you don't want to go there, but I think it would do you some good. I don't want you to regret anything." Ana was fuming at her best friend. She only had assumptions to go on as to what happened the night of her graduation. Ana never confirmed her suspicions and always denied them. She didn't want to think about it, and she especially didn't want to talk about it in front of Christopher.

Christian sat silently watching the two friends. There was a silent battle raging, and he felt left in the dark. He had listened to Kate, and it was apparent that something had happened, but he could only guess. Ana looked furious with Kate and Kate looked guilty. "You don't know what you're talking about Kate. I have nothing to feel regret over. I don't know how speaking about date rape on the campus will help. As you know, I wasn't raped last night." Christian heard an emphasis on the words last night, and he wondered if it had happened once before.

"I've never had sex before. Well, sex that I was conscious for. Wanna be the first?" Christian thought back to the words Ana had spoken the night before while under the influence of the drug. Shit. She had been raped before. He would have to do his best to get her to tell him the details. He hated to think of her in such a vulnerable position and being taken advantage of. Christian felt the need to pulverize something.

"Ladies I'm going to make use of the gym for a bit while you discuss this." Christian had made a quick exit, intent on doing damage to the speed bag he had installed in Ana's gym Tuesday.

"Kate, you need to find something else to focus on. You don't know anything about what you think you know. Trust me you don't want to either. Let it go. I'll talk to one campus, arrange to have a female detective talk with me. I will only talk about the events of last night and how things might have gone. Schedule it no sooner than three weeks. I've got a busy schedule with the SIP buyout and turnover." Ana found her confident voice and used it to settle the issue with Kate. She saw the look of pity in Christopher's eyes. Remembering what he claimed she said last night, Ana was convinced that he knew exactly what had happened to her. Now she needed a way to distract him from bringing the subject up.

* * *

It turned out Ana needed no distractions to keep Christopher off the topic of her graduation night. Saturday morning was kicked off by a courier delivery of Ben and Jerry's and a DVDs. Ana had to explain her family's tradition of days in bed together when one was sick. It was accompanied by chicken soup, ice cream, and a movie marathon. Christopher had laughed at her fondness for 80s movies. While Ana could easily buy any movie she wanted, she only purchased movies she intended to watch immediately. Today her mother and father had sent a slew of John Cusack movies. Perfect.

Christian spent the day talking with Ana and getting to know her. Gail had made soup for them after talking to Vicki that morning. They spent the time getting to know basic facts about one another. Christian liked watching any sport except golf, but he never played any. He refused to watch crime procedurals or murder mystery movies. Ana was hung up on medical dramas. She loved shows filled with sex-fueled triangles as she put it. Christian liked watching action movies while Ana preferred the 80s teen dramedies that John Hughes perfected. He discovered they had many things in common. Ana loved to run, loved being outdoors really. Her mom and dad had moved while she was in college and now lived on ten acres in Bellevue. Ana talked about how she loved to retreat there when she was sick of the hustle and bustle of her cooperate life.

Christian admitted to being a beach guy. When life got to be much, he enjoyed a walk in the sand. "You'd love my house on Bainbridge Island then. I've never taken anyone there with me actually. My parents have spent weekends there alone, but I've never been with them. It's my private oasis. The house is just off the beach, and the closest neighbor is half a mile away on either side. I thought about buying a boat once and building a dock, but I don't know how to sail."

Ana watched the light dance in Christopher's eyes. "Lucky for you I know how to sail. My father made all of us learn how to sail when we were younger. He wanted to be out with the family without the need of a hired crew." Ana liked hearing about Christopher as a kid. She wanted to learn everything she could about him. However, she couldn't forget Luke's words the days before at the hospital. He was determined to make her see that she hardly knew anything about Christopher. She couldn't even bring herself to call him Tate anymore. She saw him as Christopher, a man she was interested in on a romantic level. Luke tried to make her see that she was a job to Tate. When the threat was neutralized, he would likely move onto a new assignment. Luke specifically warned her to not picture her and Christopher as Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in The Body Guard. "Real life doesn't turn out like the movie," he had warned.

"I know this is your room and the sick day was your idea, but can we watch a different movie? I can only watch these teenage love affairs so many times. They all go the same. Boy meets girl; girl falls head over heels in love. Boy does something stupid, and girl leaves boy. Boy makes grand gesture; girl forgives boy. And they all lived happily ever after." Christian hated the parallels he saw in his life at the moment. He recognized the attraction he and Ana shared, but he was deceiving her. She didn't know his real name or the genuine danger she was in. He hated lying to her, to everyone really. It's why he was honest about everything else with her. He knew there would be a moment when it all blew up in his face. He could only hope she would be as forgiving as the girl was in the movie. Christian didn't think holding a boom box above his head or chasing her down at her sister's wedding would make everything alright.

"What do you suggest? It's movies or cards. I've got one single deck of regular cards." Ana regarded Christian and hoped that he chose a new movie. The cards had been from her college years. The last time she pulled them out, Ana had been with Ethan, and they ended up playing strip poker. She hated thinking of the jackass. He was a sore loser and didn't like the fact that he still hadn't managed to see Ana's bra. Back then, Ana knew that she probably should have mentioned that she'd played weekly with her family growing up. You had to be a shark to keep Zack from taking all the gummy bears.

"What kind of card games do you play?" Christian could only think of one game he wanted to play, and he wasn't sure it was a good idea. Being in Ana's bed, even though it was completely platonic, was doing things to his head.

"I only know poker. Last time I played was in college with a guy that had no business playing with me. He was a sore loser, and I've avoided the man since." Ana was truthful. Ethan shouldn't have been at the apartment that night, but he claimed to be looking for Kate. A storm had knocked the power out of the building, and Ethan decided to stay and eat pizza with her. Ana knew Ethan had a crush on her, but she didn't look at him that way. Kate was a sister to her, and that meant her brother was Ana's brother. Ethan had suggested strip poker to pass the time waiting for Kate to return home. Ana knew she would win, but looking back she should have declined.

Christian swallowed the lump in his throat at the connotation as to what she'd done the last time she played poker. "Movie it is. It's raining out, how about a scary movie to go with the dark and gloom blaring through the windows." Christian loved Seattle storms. There was something about the thunder and the pelting of the rain against the glass that soothes his soul.

"I've got a lot. All the Halloweens, including Rob Zombie's versions, the entire Friday the 13th series, all the Freddy Kruger movies, Alien. You'll have to go to the media room and look. We can go watch it in there if you want." Christian panicked at moving locations. He liked the comfort of being next to Ana in her bed. The media room had no windows, and he wanted to be able to look and see the storm in the windows and hear the rain.

"No, you stay here. I'll find a movie. I like being close to the windows and hearing the rain." Christian didn't think anything of it when he pulled his arm from around her shoulders and kissed her on her lips before leaving the bedroom.

Ana's breath caught as she watched Christopher walk out of her room. She had nearly told him about Ethan, and then he kissed her. She had forgotten his arm was around her shoulders until he started to remove it. The kiss had been surprising. It felt right. Ana had never been so casual with a man before. She didn't Netflix and chill while she was in school. She hardly dated. She was never so comfortable around the few guys she considers friends at one time or another.

Ana knew she had rotten luck with men. For years she saw casual flirtations as nothing more than being friendly. On several occasions that had backfired in her face. Twice in her senior year of college in fact. Neither time was something she wished to repeat. However, Ana couldn't help but feel like this was different. She'd never kissed Jose or Ethan. She'd never felt an attraction to either of them. Christopher was different. He called her baby and sweetheart all day yesterday and today. She knew that he had slept in the chair in her room last night watching over her. Today he was stuck like glue to her. No, they most certainly weren't Whitney and Kevin. But she knew if she took a chance they could be something great. She would just need to convince him.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Be sure to check out the Days of Fifty Challenge 2. My one-shot will be posted somewhere in there. Authors area announced after the last chapter is posted. The Top Five FSOG Stories Facebook group will be posting the voting polls for May in a few days. You must be a member of the group and you can vote for your favorite complete, work in progress, and series stories. Also, be sure to find my author page on Facebook, Steele Heart. More novel info will follow there, including the reveal of my publication pen name.**

 **If you leave a guest review, I can't reply to you.**

 **I don't own FSOG or it's characters. No beta, all mistakes are my own. This is a work of fiction being written as an original story and adapted for FanFiction posting. This story will only remain on FFN before it is pulled so that I may publish to Amazon. No, I don't have dates yet.**

 **Laters,**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 14**

Sunday dawned brighter than Saturday had ended. Ana woke feeling refreshed and well rested. She didn't remember falling asleep last night, she was still in her robe and her hair was in a messy bun after having showered. Ana looked to the corner of room to see that once again, the chair had been moved. Christopher had watched her sleeping again. Thinking over the night, Ana smiled to herself. They had spent all evening cuddled in the bed, Christopher's arms wrapped around her with her head on his shoulder. After the movie change, which resulted in viewing Sinister, a movie that scared Ana to her core, they gorged themselves on Chinese food.

Ana talked about her childhood with Christopher, telling him things she'd never told anyone else. Ana confessed to her abandonment issues after Carla left her and Ray. Her dislike of Vicki for the first few months she and Ray dated. She confessed to loving her brother Zack immediately though. He was one of the few friends she had in school. Ana was a bright student, ahead of the class and always had her nose stuck in a book. Zack was technically two months younger than Ana, but he was bigger. He was the perfect big brother.

"A smile like that and one would think you were dreaming of paradise." Ana rolled over looking toward the door of her bedroom. There in a pair of flannel pants and nothing else stood Christopher holding two cups of coffee.

"Stop. Unless those mugs bear black gold I suggest you retreat." Ana sat up as Christopher walked toward her and handed her a dark green mug.

"It's been a week, I've learned. Just the way you like it. The rain's stopped. What do you want to do today?" Christian had to pry himself from Ana's bed this morning before she woke to see him still lying there with his arms around her. He moved the chair in her corner to throw her off, hoping to try and create some distance. Sitting on the side of the bed, Ana sat up next to him taking a long sip from her mug.

"Keep making my coffee like this and I could fall in love with you." Christian swallowed the lump in his throat and took a sip of his own coffee. He needed to talk to Taylor or Logan this week. He needed to see if the team had made any headway on the case and update them on developments. Christian hated lying to Ana. He had argued with Taylor about the undercover assignment to begin with. When he read the file, Christian felt being honest was an okay way to go. Taylor denied his request to even tell Sawyer. He didn't want to risk a panic over what could be a false alarm. Granted the photos had been confirmed to being those of their victims, the DNA sample in the condom was inconclusive. Christian had thought his biggest fear coming to Seattle was running into his family. After last night, his biggest fear is that he'll break both his and Ana's hearts.

"Nah, I leave my wet towels on the floor. You'd get sick of me pretty quick." Ana snorted into her coffee. She didn't care what kind of slob he might be. She had hired help to clean up around the place. She liked the easy way they could sit in silence though. She loved the fact that neither felt the need talk. They could simply sit with each other in comfort.

"Gail would be the one to deal with that. I say I'm golden." Ana started to say more but was interrupted by her phone's shrill ring. She groaned praying it wasn't a work call.

"Steele." Ana didn't look at the caller ID before pressing the accept button, and she winced when she heard the voice on the other end.

"Anastasia Rose Steele, I did not raise you to bark into a phone like that. You may have billions in the bank and your pretty pictures in all the papers, but you're still my daughter and shot, drugged, or not, I can and will take a switch to your behind." Vicki Steele was a nurturer, but also a disciplinarian. She had no guilt about telling her grown children how to live their lives. She called them on every mistake they ever made and forced Ana and Zack to face reality whenever necessary. Vicki was also the first one to always say I love you and the one Ana wanted to talk to the most when she needed sage advice.

"Sorry mom, I didn't look at my caller ID again. You're lucky I was awake. Chris had to talk me to death so I could sleep after the horribly scary movie he convinced me to watch last night. Couple that with the storm and it's a wonder I don't have bags under my eyes." Ana stared Christopher down as she spoke to her mother daring him to but in.

"Judging from the fact that you're in your robe still, the way I left you last night, I would say you've not looked in a mirror yet. Who told you there weren't bags under your eyes?" Christian couldn't help it. No matter how adorably sexy she looked in her robe, she was to easy to tease.

"Oh, Ana. I like him. I want to meet him. Kate says he's sex on legs. You have to bring him this afternoon." Vicki giggled when she heard Christopher's response to Ana's snark. Kate had called yesterday after she visited the apartment to gossip about the way Christopher and Ana acted with each other.

"What's going on this afternoon mom?" Ana was confused. She hadn't made plans for the day yet so she didn't know what her mother was referring to.

"Honestly Anastasia. You run a multi-billion dollar company. You hardly ever take a day off. I assumed you would have checked your email by now. Your brother sent us all one. He's scheduled for Skype time at 2. We all need to be together. He says he only gets thirty minutes so he's splitting it with us and the girls. Pam sent me a whole new set of photos of Maggie too. You're going to love them." Ana looked at Christopher and wondered what to do. Her parents knew that he had been hired as her bodyguard, but he had quickly become a friend. Vicki and Ray both would pick up on the underlying tension. Vicki would see how comfortable they were with each other and pull out her fabric tape measure to get Ana fitted for her wedding dress. Ray thinks any man that speaks with Ana wants in her panties, that means one look at Christopher and he'll want to show him his shop.

Ray Steele was a former marine and former Fire Chief for Seattle. He was broad shouldered with strong arms. He spent his days now building custom furniture. Ana built his shop on his property a few years back, with brand new equipment. Ray had the best and biggest saws money could buy. On more than one occasion he's offered to use said saws to chop up a body for Ana and sink to the bottom of Lake Washington.

"2 o'clock. I think I swing that. I assume there will be food and entertainment." If Ana knew her mother, she had already been to the store and bought out the meat department intent on making Ray grill.

"You and your hunky body guard be here at noon. You're dad's smoking a brisket. We'll find something to entertain ourselves with while it finishes. He said we'd be able to eat after we talked with your brother." Ana inwardly groaned. There was no getting out of this.

"Alright we'll be there. Should I stop for the worms?" Her dad loved to fish after a big storm and they only had about a mile's walk to the lake shore.

"No, he won't want to be away from his grill. Bring wine though. I don't know who the man's been talking to this weekend, but your father's doing his silent ninja talk thing and well, your guy might need a warnin." Ana covered her face with her free hand and could only guess what Luke had told her father.

"I'll grab daddy his Sam Adams too. It can't hurt any to be prepared. I've got time to ask Gail to make a lemon cake. Think that might help." Ana thought back to the one time she brought a boy home in high school. She was sure that Matt Givens was going to ask her to prom. Zack hated the boy and she was convinced he told her father all kinds of stories after announcing she was bringing to their barbecue that weekend. Ray spent the rest of the week silently talking to himself. The family could see his lips moving when he walked around the house, but no one ever heard a word he said. Matt was only at the house a half hour before Ray pulled him away. Ana never knew what her daddy said to the boy, but he stopped calling her after that and asked Cindy Baxter to prom instead.

"Baby girl, if that man is anything like the way Kate described him, he's gonna need all the bullet proofin' he can get." Ana spent another five minutes on the phone with her mother before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

"So I get to meet the folks huh?" Christian had a smile a mile wide on his face. He had never done the whole meet the parents thing before. He was looking forward to it, even if Ana thought her father might resort to violence.

* * *

"I'm telling you, don't do it. If you see his ear twitching avoid his eyes like he's Medusa. Don't do that sir, parade rest, titled chin shit. Look him in the eyes and you might as well roll over and die. You see an ear twitch, it means his face is about to turn red and the vein in his forehead will start bulging next. Then he's gonna grab you by the throat and toss you across the yard. Ray Steele is the Alpha at 2147 Meadowbrook drive. You roll over and show him your belly. Look at the ground. Show him however you want that you recognize he's the top dog, but whatever you do, don't look him in the eye." Zack brought home a fellow cadet on break once and when the kid made a lewd comment about Ana with Ray in ear shot, well, Zack didn't bring home any cadets after that. Ray kept his hands to himself when the kids were in school, because he wouldn't risk assaulting a minor, but grown ass men were fair game.

Christian sat in the driver's seat, following Ana's directions while she told him the do's and don'ts of her parent's house. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain gray t-shirt. Ana was in the seat to his right dressed in cut off shorts, a navy blue tank top and converse. She had braided her hair and swept it around her left shoulder. Christian fought every urge within himself to keep from reaching over and stroking the bare skin of her leg or playing with the end of the braid that hung just about her breast.

"Vicki Steele is many things, but a bartender is not one of them. If she offers you anything other than a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, turn her down. She makes her cocktails with triple the necessary amount of alcohol. By the time you start a second drink it's too late. You're drunk. She gets Kate every time with her cosmos." Ana tried to think of everything he needed to know before they got there. She spent an hour texting Kate demanding a verbatim play by play of her phone call with Vicki the day before. Ana groaned when Kate described Vicki's elation at hearing Ana had a crush. A crush, that's what Kate called it and told Vicki she needed to get in daughter's ear about cleaning the cobwebs out before she became a crusty old cat lady. Ana cringed just thinking about the vulgar way her mother and best friend talk when it comes to their sex lives.

"What about your brother Ana? You said you get to talk to him for fifteen minutes. Is that something that happens often?" Christian tried to remember if there were any notes about where Zack was currently located be he didn't think that the security clearance approved the transfer of info.

"It'll be the first time I've talked to him since he left. That was months ago. I'm not sure where he is. He quoted op-sec when we asked where he would be this time. Pam won't tell us anything other than to let us know she's gotten a phone call or an email. Couple years ago he was in Afghanistan and we went four months without hearing his voice. The mail runs pretty well over there, but the fighting knocked out communications so often. He tends to save most of his calls for Pam and Maggie. When he gets to schedule time for a computer and we get a video call, we try to get together so that all three of us can talk to him. I was in Tokyo once and missed the video call and had to wait another two months before Pam demanded he hang up and call me instead." Ana's heart ached thinking of her brother. She hated being so far away from him, but Zack felt it was his calling. He was determined to earn Top Gun and that meant he had to be in the air as often as he could.

"You miss your brother." Christian only stated the obvious, but it was easy to see the love she had for him. He had listened to the stories she told yesterday. While Ana and Zack were best buddies in elementary, neither was keen on their parent dating the other's. They spent a month playing pranks trying to separate the two of them, but in the end they were won over. Christian smiled thinking of Ana as a cute little nine year old spending unlimited time in a bookstore and being told to grab whatever books she wanted. Apparently, books were Ana's catnip. Ray on the other hand took Zack to a Mariner's game and then hung out by the locker rooms waiting for players to leave so that Zack could try and get his baseball signed. They managed two names before Zack declared Ray the best man in the world.

"If he were here, he'd be arguing with Kate daily over who my best friend was. I miss him dearly. He made me and Pam a promise though. Fifteen years. He would do fifteen years and then he was going to leave active service. He plans to move home when he's done, and I told him whatever he wanted to do, I would support him. I just want my brother home." It was all true, Ana even promised Zack she would by her own Boeing jet for him to fly if he would come home.

The rest of the ride into Bellevue was spent in companionable silence. Christian bristled when he turned into the gated community for Ana's parents. Another mile west and he would reach the gate for his parent's private drive. It was too close. Christian fought down the anxiety he felt every time he thought of coming face to face with his own brother again after so many years. Elliot's sent a letter every six months to his P.O. Box in Chicago since the last family dinner. Not a single envelope has been opened. Mia tends to send emails when she wants to tell him something. Usually it's to brag about her newest client or to tell him which celebrity she's rubbed elbows with. Last email he got from her was three and half months ago and it included pictures from a vacation she took to Turks and Caicos. His father was the only one that hadn't reached out to him since he left the dinner table that day. Carrick Grey was the one that he wanted to talk to the most though.

* * *

"Annie! Pam told me about you getting shot. What the fuck?" Zack's face was larger than life on the laptop screen. Her family was huddled around the patio table so that he could see each of them, including looked worn beyond his 25 years. He was still in dirty desert camos with an olive green scarf covering his neck and he hadn't shaved in at least two days.

"Some crazy douche nozzle. Police have no suspects and the shittiest eye witness sketch ever. Unless they find the gun on a sidewalk with prints in the system already, they'll never find out who it was. I was lucky, but the stitches get to come out this week. I'm gonna have a wicked scar, which I think it cool. Kate wants me to fly to Miami and meet with some plastic surgeon. She said Miami is the the plastic surgery capitol of the country." Kate was a firm believer that her looks were part of her brand. A scar was bad marketing she said. Ana told her to get over it, that's what airbrushing was for.

"Who's the gorilla behind you?" Zack tilted his head toward the corner of the screen closet to Christopher and Ana had to smile to herself.

"That's Christopher. The body guard Luke hired." Ana smiled when she turned to look at him and wave him closer to the table.

"You two aren't playing Whitney and Kevin are you?" And just like that Ana and Christopher both froze in their tracks. Raymond Steele saw it. He had listened to Luke yesterday, but he knew his daughter. She had a good head on her shoulders. Ana knew better than to fish off the company pier. At least that was what Ray thought. He hated to be proven wrong. He knew sooner or later Ana would meet a man and fall in love. He expected it in college to be honest, but she was always so focused.

The family spent the next ten minutes talking with Zack before sending their love and saying their "see you next times." "Christopher, how about we get a beer and I show you my shop." Ana groaned hearing her father. She knew he would catch the look she gave Christopher while talking to Zack. It didn't help that Chris kept touching her. One moment his hand was on he small of her back, the next he was caressing her neck. Vicki had made several comments already while they played cards. She saw the sexual tension and was demanding an hour at Bellefleur's to outfit Ana with new lingerie.

Christian followed Ray to his shop. He listened as Ray told him how Ana built the shop as a retirement gift. He had plenty room to work and store his furniture inside the large structure. He also had a leather reclining sofa, a 50 inch led TV connected to the cable and a fridge full of beer and dip to go with the chips it the cabinet next to it.

"Christopher, I want you to listen to me and I want you to listen good." Ray handed him the beer after popping off the cap and took a swig before he caught Christopher's eyes and continued. "That's my little girl that you've been hired to protect. Now I know she's important in the business world and people have a billion and one reasons to want to harm her. I don't give a damn about them though. You were hired to protect her and that's what I expect you to do."

Christian took a swig of his beer before he broke Ray's gaze and looked around the shop. "Sir, I want nothing more than to ensure Ana's safety."

Ray watched the man for a minute. He could see the confidence, but he needed to make sure the boy understood he had a job to do. "I'm glad we see eye to eye on that then. You just remember to keep your gun armed and ready to aim to defend her and keep your cock holstered."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you for your patience. I had a few days health wise that set me back when it came to posting. The story is completely written though and I'm in the process of editing each chapter so that I may get them all posted by next Friday. That means that you get multiple chapters a day after this. When the last chapter is posted, there will be a warning to read quickly or download to story in the FFN app. The story will be removed in the late evening of May 31** **st** **. On that day, I will announce the publication date of Falling Undercover as well as my pen name for publishing. You're going to want to find me on Facebook as Steele Heart.**

 **If you follow me as an author, you know that I posted a one shot last night. Speed Racer was my entry in the Days of Fifty Challenge 2. It will not be updated further on FFN but look for an original novel based around the prompt with similar characters and beginning plot in August.**

 **My faithful reviewers, I love you all. I'm looking for a group of dedicated and fast readers. I will need many of you to read an advance copy of the original Falling Undercover before publication so that you may post an honest review the debut day. If you won't be able to read the book in three or four days, please don't message me asking to sign up. I won't share copies till June first. I have a tentative date in mind for publication, mainly because it's a special day to my family, but it may be the end of the first week of June.**

 **Steele Love, Grey Vitals, and Unavowed fans, you're getting updates after Falling Undercover is published. I'll be spending June updating those stories as often as I can and plotting Speed Racer, which will feature a new title. I'll be focused on writing that story in July as well and will try to have it published sometime in June.**

 **I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you. Enjoy this update. No beta, all mistakes are mine, and I don't own FSoG or it's characters.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 15**

"Steele, we got a request from Good Morning America to interview in New York next week." Ana looked up from her computer to see Kate flouncing into her office without knocking, as usual. It was Tuesday, and the GMA interview was probably the tenth one that she had received this week. Yesterday Kate spent an hour trying to convince Ana to do the Sixty Minutes piece that had been suggested about a hundred times already.

"No." Ana had too much work to do and didn't think people had any right to pry into her private life. That's what all those interviews do. No matter how many times they vet their questions beforehand, they veer away from the approved topics and delve into her personal affairs. The Forbes interview she agreed to last month started out like it was expected to but quickly turned to accusations about her private life and what dirty secrets she could have had.

"Ana, you need to talk to someone. People want to know what's going on in your life and until you give them answers, they'll keep asking questions." Kate was perfect in her job as Ana's head of PR at SHE. Kate loved the limelight so much she wanted Ana to create a press room like the White House had so that Kate could give press conferences in style, or so Kate claims.

"That's just it Kate, this is my life, and no one has a right to know what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with. Why can't people understand that? I'm not a movie star or a famous musician. I don't rely on the general public's interest in me to make my money. I purchase failing companies and build them up into something better than they ever were. I am a philanthropist, but I don't ask for recognition for it. I want to live my life, and I want to do it without the scrutiny of the public. I don't want to sit here and read an article about how wrong I looked wearing last season's pantsuit. I don't need people speculating on who I'm dating or that I've secretly run off and gotten married. Even if I did do that, I have no one that I should have to answer to except my parents." Ana hated the way her life was picked apart in the press. She attended as few events as she could. She never went on dates and the few dates she had gone on due to Kate's urging, were always in a private room at a restaurant. Ana always met the men there and arrived first.

"Ana, I know that you don't need to answer to anyone. I'm only suggesting that maybe if you answer someone's questions, the press may back off of you. That's what you want isn't it?" Ana raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at Kate's suggestion.

"Did the press back off after the shooting when I stopped in my wheelchair to answer their questions? No, they proceeded to camp out in front of my apartment building and tried to scheme ways to get inside. I got messages from other tenants complaining about people roaming the halls asking questions. Someone's car was dented when some paparazzi tried to push their car out of the way to get inside the garage before the gates closed. Answering those questions didn't get me any slack from the press. Doing a more in-depth interview and having it televised will only make things worse. For the time being, the Nooz is the biggest thorn in my side. Besides, I did the one interview with you when I started this company and look how that turned out." Ana hated bringing that up, and she knew it was a slap in the face to Kate. It wasn't Kate's fault. Ana knew the printed piece wasn't the article Kate turned in. Thankfully, Kate's father was an idiot and never had her sign a no compete or confidentiality clause. Kate was able to do her first major press conference in defense of the piece she originally wrote, but her brother refused to publish. The trash piece he did still had Kate's Byline on it, and when the photos of Ana and Zack were printed the following week, it wasn't hard to convince Kate to take the PR job.

"It's been almost five years. Can I slice my brother's dick off yet Banana?" Kate and Ethan had never really been close. When he graduated from Duke and moved back to Seattle, they were shocked to see him take an interest in Kate's life. However, the two best friends realized quickly that it was Kate's roommate that held Ethan's interest. Ethan was almost more relentless in his pursuit than Jose ever was. He always found a way to invite her to events his parents required Kate to attend. Ana said no each and every single time, except once her junior year. Ana knew it was a mistake the instant the words "Sure, Ethan," flew out of her mouth. Ethan spent more time trying to grab her ass than he did introducing her to people like he said he would in his speech. The only good that came from that party was a meeting with Seattle's Mayor. John Oaks was the man who gave Ana the lead on her first company purchase. He sent her all the good information. It helped that his wife thought of herself as a fill-in grandmother for Ana.

"No. I promised your father I wouldn't sue or let you kill his heir and in exchange, nothing is ever printed about us, the company or anyone connected to us without my written permission." Eamon Kavanaugh was a wise man. He knew the shit storm his son had started could end badly for him. He had to print a retraction and blame the article on a no-name intern, but in the end, it worked out better for Ana.

"Fine, want to do lunch today?" Kate looked annoyed that she wasn't getting her way today, and Ana just knew she wasn't going to get a sour lemon look on her face when she told her no again.

"I can't. I'm eating outside of these four walls for the first time since I was shot today. Chris and I are visiting a small bistro close to SIP's offices, and then I have a meeting with Mia Grey to finalize the details for Friday's re-launch. Then I'm stopping at this new boutique I saw a few weeks ago. I want to send some new outfits and shoes to Pam for Maggie." Ana loved her niece and hated not seeing her more. She was good at curbing how much she spoiled her, but she still tried to send something to her once a month, even if it was just a new coloring book and play-doh.

"Well, aren't you just miss social now that you've got a boyfriend." Kate smiled wide at her friend. She knew that Christopher was supposed to be the bodyguard, but Kate's seen the way the two look at each other. She's heard Luke's complaints as well. Kate didn't care how much he protested or that Chris had a job to do. If he made her friend smile like she had the past week, Kate was all for whatever became of their relationship.

"He's my bodyguard Kate, and you know this. Yes, he's become a friend, but nothing more. He has a job to do and romancing me isn't in the description." Ana heard her protests, and they sounded pathetic to even her ears. After spending a weekend in bed with the man snuggled up and giving and receiving innocent kisses, Ana knew she wanted more with Chris. She didn't know how to go about getting it.

"You little slut. What have you done?" Ana must have given more away with her expression based on the grin on Kate's face. Ana wanted to protest that the answer was nothing, but she knew that she couldn't hold out on Kate. They told each other everything. A pang hit Ana in the heart when she thought back to her graduation night. Correction, they told each other almost everything.

"We spent all day Saturday in bed." Ana knew what she was saying, and she waited to see Kate's jaw hit the floor. It was as perfect as she expected it to be. "We did the whole sick in bed thing. Mom and Dad sent a basket over full of ice cream and John Cusack movies. He was sweet and indulged me. Then he complained about the chic flicks and their predictability, so we switched to a scary movie." Ana paused as she tried to decide what to say next. She didn't know how to explain it. It almost seemed like she and Chris slipped into a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. They just didn't kiss with tongue or sleep together, yet.

"Ana, what's wrong?" Kate looked at her friend contemplatively. She knew Ana was near innocent when it came to romantic endeavors. She always had something more to focus on.

"I have no clue what I'm doing. I kissed him Thursday at the event. We were playing a couple, so people didn't know I had security. I wasn't thinking, and Ros Bailey pissed me off. She's not even into men, but she sure flirted with Chris. He had been teasing me, and I kissed him. It was spectacular. Then I embarrassed the shit out of myself after drinking what I'm now calling the green fairy." Ana spent the next ten minutes telling Kate everything she said while the ecstasy was in her system and how they acted with each other on Saturday. She told them about the dinner at her parents on Sunday and the video call from her brother.

"So what did Zack have to say? I know he had to email you afterward." Kate knew her family well, she might not know Zack as well as she did Ana's parents, but she knew what a good big brother he was, even when he was half a world away.

"He did email me. I got it this morning. He's of the same mind as Luke to an extent. He doesn't want me getting my hopes up and falling in love with him if he's planning to cut and run the minute they find the guy doing this shit. Then again, Christopher might not even wait that long. I know he's looking into finding a more permanent guy. His current address is in Chicago. He never sticks with someone long term. I don't want to bank my hopes on being the one to change that. Zack also wants me to be happy, and if Chris makes me happy, he wants me to keep my eyes open to the situation and enjoy it while I can then." Ana knew her brother would have something to say once she saw him Sunday. She hadn't expected him to tell her to do what she wanted. She was a grown woman; he didn't promise not to find him and kick his ass though if he broke her heart.

"Okay, well I'll call the GMA producer back and decline the interview. I wish you would change your mind on at least one of them though. You could meet Michael Strahan, you know?" Ana shook her head as Kate headed out the door and returned to her work. She had a stack of contracts to read over before lunch.

* * *

"Ana, I've had a wonderful lunch. I know that you have the meeting at SIP next. I hadn't realized and scheduled time at the range to update my weapons qualification for my Washington permit. I'm going to have to drop you at the door and then I'm taking a cab to the range. Ryan is to park the car in front of the building and then escort you inside. I'll meet you at the office afterward. The covert I have on us will be watching when you leave the building. You'll be covered. If you need me for anything, you call me." Christian hated lying to Ana. It was getting worse as the days passed. He needed every ounce of restraint each night to not crawl in her bed and make love to her. He needed to meet with his handler though. He's not heard anything from Taylor since he landed in Seattle. The few words Christian barked at him after the literacy event last week didn't count when Christian didn't give Taylor a chance to say a word.

"Oh, okay. I'm glad someone will be in there with me. My HR tells me that I need to wait until after next week to fire Jack Hyde. We want SIP to look solid at the party; then I can go in and clean house. HR is spending the weekend interviewing and hiring replacements for half the management staff there." Ana hated the thought that Jack Hyde could get near her there. The man gave her the creeps, and she hated being int he same room as him. Something about that man was undeniably wrong.

"You'll be safe Ana. I promise. Let's get out of here." Christian tossed a few bills on the table to before Ana could pull out her wallet. "Gotta be quicker than that Steele."

Ana smiled at Christopher and shook her head. He was the first man to buy her a meal other than her father or brother. "You know most men want me to pay but thank you." She knew how to be gracious. She liked that he made her feel like a girl. She was like anyone else she realized. She wanted a big strong man that would take care of her and protect her. Ana wanted to be loved above all else. She felt that she could love Chris, but would he love her back? That is what kept her mind occupied most days lately.

Christian escorted Ana to the car, Ryan at the wheel. "You know, I don't Understand other men. Is it intimidating that you make more money in a week than I would in a year, hell yeah. But it doesn't disrupt me from wanting to pay for lunch." Christian wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her that he felt an overwhelming desire to take care of her in every sense of the word. He wanted to buy her things and not just food. He wanted to protect her and provide for her. That was the scary thing. He was on an assignment, and he shouldn't want those things. He knew that she was going to hate him when she discovered his identity, it's why he intended to plead his case to tell her when he went to the Seattle field office after dropping her off.

"You're like no one I've ever met Christopher." Ana stayed silent after that. She knew they were close to SIP and she didn't want to risk saying anything embarrassing. When Ryan pulled up to the front of the office, she waited for Christopher to come around and open the door for her. "I'll see you after four when I get back to the office?"

"Yes, I'll be there waiting for you hopefully. If not, I'll see you when I'm done." Christian waited and watched them walk past reception. When they entered the elevator, he walked to the corner and crossed the street. Christian stopped at a dark blue sedan and got in the passenger seat. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

 **Please Review! And Thank You For Your Support!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'll try my best to keep this short. Thanks for keeping with me. Multiple chapters will be posted each day for the next week. This story will be completely posted no later than July 29** **th** **. The story will be pulled from FFN on August 3** **rd** **though and I won't be sharing PDF copies as Falling Undercover will be available exclusively on Amazon on August 10** **th** **. You can look for my new Author page on Facebook, Jenalynn Roberts. Cover Reveal has been posted. There is a link posted looking for advance readers willing to review on Amazon the day of publication and there is a post for a free copy. Be sure and click the like button and then share the page with your friends.**

 **If you have more questions, feel free to send me a message. I'll try my best to get back to you in a timely manner. This summer has been a lot busier than I had originally expected. Graduations, baseball, weddings, babysitting, and generally entertaining my children has left me with little time to focus until the last week.**

 **Not my character, the story plot is mine though.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 16**

"Ana, I'm so happy to see you again. Before we get started, what is this I see in the papers about a hunky man on your arm last week?" Mia Grey is a bubbly, easily excitable woman. Ana likes her work ethic, but she sometimes pushes the boundaries where professional meets personal. Today they're meeting to finalize the plans for the SIP relaunch party on Friday.

"I'm happy to see you too Mia. How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, busy. We get a lot of graduation party type things this month. You remember that I won't be here personally on Friday, right?" Mia looks serious for the moment at Ana. Trying to stay in the professional zone for a moment.

"Yes, I understand. When we called to book you at the last minute, I knew there would be some concessions. You've guaranteed the work of everyone there, so I have faith it will be what I want it to be." Ana was telling the truth. She understood that she wasn't Mia's only client. Mia had committed to personally be somewhere else. Steele Holding Enterprises may be a global conglomerate, but they didn't use bullying tactics to get their way.

"Thank you for that. I know this is important so let's get these details down." Mia and Ana spent the next hour talking food, decorations, and more. There would only be hors d'oeurves served along with three types of wine. Ana demanded a dry white, but they would serve a sangria mixed wine and a sweet red wine as well. Decorations were minimal; a few signs in the front of the building announcing the change over from Seattle Independent Press to Steele Independent Publishing. The company's new focus would be on publishing, not printing company catalogs or restaurant menus. Inside the building, there would be banners announcing the signing of three new authors, one that SIP editor Cadence Harris tempted away from Harper Collins.

"Ana, did you want a podium set up anywhere? I know that we're going to have the DJ with a microphone if you need it, but did you want a raised platform or anything like that?" Ana sat there and thought a minute on it.

"No, we're doing this really informal. It's just a way for the community and the media to see the changeover. Our new authors will be there, and I'm requiring each of my editors to be here. We plan to start the evening off with a few of the editors talking for a few minutes about what they're currently doing and what the company will be doing in the coming months." Ana thought about how she needed to walk around for a few minutes and make sure each of the editors she'd selected to talk would be prepared. "Our marketing department will take about 10 minutes to discuss the new trends they'll be following and how they are prepared to market our new ebooks department."

Ebooks were a market SIP was severely behind in. They currently didn't produce any, but over the weekend, all the computers and servers were being updated with brand new firmware to support the new direction Ana was planning to take the company toward. "Did you have anyone from the literacy foundation's ball last week coming to discuss SHE and SIP's dedication to the new center that you're planning to spearhead?" Mia looked up from her notebook where she'd been making notes for the last bit.

"Actually, there will be a press release sent out about it. We didn't want to take away from what Friday will be. I spoke at the dinner last week about it in detail. We'll remind everyone what we're planning with the press release, but that will be it." Ana was looking through her notes once more when there was a knock on the door of the conference room they were using.

"Ana, I was wondering if we would see you in the office sometime before the party Friday." Mia and Ana both cringed at the sound of Jack Hyde's voice.

"We're in the office Mr. Hyde, so it's Ms. Steele here. I plan to be in and out of the office all week. In fact, Mia, if we're done here, I have a few more people to meet with before I leave today." Ana stands to gather her papers and say a few more words when Jack steps toward her.

"Ms. Steele," Jack emphasized the miss part of her name before continuing to address her. "I had a few things for Friday's agenda to talk to you about before you left for the day."

Ana took a deep breath before turning toward the man that unnerved her like few others did. "Mr. Hyde, I have a tight schedule today. Unfortunately, my time with Miss Grey here ran over, and I'm going to have to cut the rest of my time here short. I won't be able to meet with you today. I will be back on Friday, we can discuss your items then. If they're urgent, email your notes to me, and I will try to address them sometime tomorrow." Ana stepped around Jack to move out of the conference room before he could detain her any longer.

"Sure, Ms. Steele. I was hoping that you might be in need of an escort for the party. After that unfortunate event at Thursday's dinner, I thought you might need someone to pay better attention to you." Ana shivered at the mention of what she referred to as the champagne incident.

"My date took care of me just fine on Thursday. If he hadn't been paying such good attention, I might have fallen victim to someone unsavory." Ana tried to sound assertive, but she felt she was missing the mark.

Jack looked up and down admiring Ana's form. He was dressed today in a smart dark blue suit with a light blue button up shirt and a gold tie. Ana felt nauseous under his gaze and let her eyes dart toward the open door Mia had already exited through. "Hmm, I remember your date. It's a shame he didn't share you any Thursday. I would have enjoyed a turn on the dance floor with you. I had hoped to get better acquainted with you before our merger. I think that being the head of the Fiction department means that we'll be working closely together in the coming days." Jack licked his lips before capturing Ana's eyes and continuing. "In my many years of experience, a close relationship such as ours should be built on passionate chemistry. I think we could have that. I can see after your speech Thursday that you're a passionate woman. Tell me, Anastasia, what are you passionate about? Who are you passionate about?"

By now, Ana realized that Jack was inches from her. He raised his hand and was reaching towards Ana when she cleared her throat and took a step back. "Mr. Hyde, this working relationship will work best if you learn not to step over the boundary of professionalism. We can hardly afford for a claim of sexual harassment if that's the way you treat and talk to other female employees."

Ana knew she hit the nail on the head when Jack's eyes widened and took a step back from her. "No harassment intended Ms. Steele. I was merely playing off what I thought was a mutual attraction. I won't be mistaken again."

"See that you don't." Ana didn't wait for a reply before leaving the office and heading to the office of the current CEO and owner of SIP. She needed to make sure that he understood the procedure for the weekend. She couldn't afford for any mistakes to be made while things were changing over.

* * *

"Noah, this will go a lot easier if you would just let me tell her what is going on." Christian was annoyed with the man who had been assigned to him as his handler. Agent Logan was four years older than Christian and had never spent a day undercover. He was recruited as an analyst right out of college. Logan spent his days in front of a computer, and judging by the beer gut, Christian was sure he spent his nights in front of a gaming console. The man had no people skills.

"As your handler on this case, I'm telling you the answer is no. Until someone higher up gives the all clear, you can not reveal yourself or the case that you are working on and how it relates to Ms. Steele. As of right now, the only that can definitively be linked to the Papz is the photo package she received. We have no suspects. The shooting can't be linked to the Papz, the forensics couldn't trace the glass back to anyone, Steele's print were the only ones on the glass and the waiter that had cleared it away. His prints were on top of hers, so we ruled him out as the one that drugged the glass. We're scouring the guest list from the dinner, but so far we've got nothing." Agent Logan regarded Christian coolly. He had long held contempt for the man. Logan spent years chained to a desk, the FBI wasting what he felt was a good agent. Noah Logan knew he would be great as a field agent or undercover. Instead, he had to fight to move to Seattle as an undercover handler. It was probably the closest he'd ever get to working a major case as part of an undercover team.

"I'm telling you, Ana Steele is not a dumb woman. She's going to pick up on something fishy sooner or later. So far she hasn't revealed anything that might indicate she has a former relationship with our unsub. Frankly, I firmly believe that she would be more forthcoming and aware of her surroundings if she knew the danger she was in. If she knew about the Papz and the danger he posed to her and his crimes against his previous victims, I know she would help us in any way that she could." Christian was sick of lying to Ana. He realized his feeling for her were only growing stronger as each day passed and he desperately wanted to tell her who he really was. Christian as determined to keep her safe and he knew that until they had a name for a suspect, that was unlikely to happen.

"Tough shit, Grey. Maybe you should romance her a little. I've been known to loosen the ladies' lips with a few orgasms." Christian cringed at the tone of Logan's voice. He was confident the man didn't know the first thing about giving a woman an orgasm.

"I have never, nor will I start with Ana, go about getting information by sleeping with a target. I just feel like she would be more forthcoming if she knew what was going on around her." Christian hated to think about what would happen between him and Ana if they did take that step and she found out the truth. NO, he was determined that they would not move forward until this case was over. Once she was safe, he could explain that the only thing he's lied to her about is his name and what he really does for a living.

Christian toned out Logan and his team of analysts while he checked his phone. He had heard the beep only a few minutes ago, and he wanted to make sure his covert had gotten back to SIP in time to see Ana and Ryan get into the car safely.

CABLE: Steele is safe in car. No one loitering streets as they pulled away, but one of the employees exited the building after the car pulled away and watched it till it turned down the block. Picture coming in next.

CABLE: Creepy dip shit if you ask me.

The picture was one of Jack Hyde. Christian was suspect of the man in his motives toward Ana, but he'd ruled him out as the Papz after the dinner. His flight records and SIP time cards gave him alibis for every murder. Hyde hadn't been in the area for any of them. Not unless Scotty was waiting around each time to beam him up and back for each murder.

GREY: Jack Hyde. He's known and has been ruled out. He's got a thing for Steele, otherwise harmless.

Christian waited a few minutes expecting a reply. When he didn't get one, he assumed Cable was on the move back toward Steele House.

"Logan, I need to hurry this up. My time at the gun range is only secure for another half hour. Can we finish this please?" Christian wanted to get back before Ana' or Sawyer for that matter, could ask him too many questions.

"Sure, anything for the golden boy of the FBI. You gave us the name of the PR broad's brother. We're going to run more in-depth searches on him, but so far we can rule him out for the Chicago murder. We ruled out everyone she's worked with, although, you should warn her that one of the guys in her accounting department is playing fast and loose with the numbers of a small restaurant chain she purchased last year. He's padding his offshore account." Noah Logan looked at Christian Grey smug to have a bit of information that the other agent didn't have.

"She's already aware of Harvey Black's activities. She and her COO are working with their attorneys to turn over evidence and see the man prosecuted." Christian watched as Logan visibly deflated.

Christian's phone rang, but he didn't look to see who it was yet. "Is there anything else?" He wanted to get back to Ana, but Logan was holding him up.

"We're sending in undercovers at her buildings. Escala and Steele House both will have agents watching. None will pose a security risk to Miss Steele or you. We'll keep their identities from you so that the integrity of the case isn't compromised. For now, do what you need to do and get her talking." Logan was sure that Grey was the type of guy that could find out all a woman's secrets with a little wine and a few kisses.

"I'll try my best. We may not get anything from her. She may not know the unsub. We need to start thinking of that possibility." Christian was certain that if he got Ana to talk about her time at college more, she would let slip a name that could bring them a real lead. He just didn't want to use the underhanded techniques Logan's been suggesting for the last two hours. "I have to go. Let me know when you hear something from Taylor. I'll be in touch."

"Just make sure you don't blow your cover. We can't have a.." Agent Logan was cut off when his phone started to ring. He didn't check to see who it was. He just answered. "Logan." Christian watched the man for a minute and was pulling out his phone when Logan's eyes when wide. "Yes, sir."

"Call your man Grey." Logan looked at Christian with concern causing Christian to tense. He noticed two missed calls from Cable and was calling him back before listening to his voicemail.

"Where the fuck are you Grey? It's bad here. I'm not sure what you want me to do. I drove up on the scene, so I have no clue what happened." Cable had answered on the first ring and didn't give Christian a chance to say anything. "Seriously, dude, your charge is being loaded into the back of an ambulance man. I'll stay here with the car. SPD is going to impound it. The detective on scene is demanding the whole thing be inspected."

"Cable!" Christian roared thinking the worst. "What the hell are you talking about?" Christian's mind was creating all sorts of scenarios.

"I stayed at SIP watching the creepy guy watch her and then texting with you. When I left to follow, they were already ahead of me and headed toward Steele's office. When I caught up with them, it was too late. The car was careening headfirst into the intersection. I can't get close enough without blowing my cover to see what's going on. They're detaining the driver for questioning it looks like. The ambulance is leaving now with Steele." Christian hung up before rushing out of the office and cursing himself for not being with her.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Same as the chapter before. Find my Facebook, Jenalynn Roberts. There is a cover reveal, a giveaway, and a link to sign up to be an advanced reader.**

 **I don't own FSOG's characters, but this plot line is all my own.**

 **Laters,**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 17**

"Ana!" Christian burst through the doors fifteen minutes after getting the call about the wreck. The whole drive he spent on the phone with his SPD contact. Ryan was being escorted to the hospital to be checked over for a concussion. The only word he'd gotten on Ana was a text from his mother letting him know that she was with Ana. Thank God for Grace Grey.

"Christopher. Thank god. Is Ryan okay?" Ana clung to the man that had grown to mean more to her than being her hired protector.

Christian wrapped Ana in his arms, stroking a hand down her hair. "He's fine. One of the officers that were observing decided to get him checked out. She thinks he might have a mild concussion. Wanna tell me what the hell happened?"

Ana tightened her grip on Christopher as she tried to answer him. "When we left SIP, I asked to take a little more scenic route. I needed time to think before going back to the office. Ryan was about halfway to there, and we were coming up on a red light. I usually don't pay attention to anything but my phone when I'm in the back of the car, but I was watching the sidewalks and had seen the light change colors when we turned onto the block. There weren't any cars in front of us. I don't know what happened, but it seemed like the car suddenly sped up, and Ryan told me to brace myself. I leaned down to cover my head and held onto the back of the seat in front of me. I'm not sure what happened after that. I felt the jolting and heard metal crunching and glass shattering. When I finally looked up the driver's side of the car was against a pole, and Ryan was lifting his head off the steering wheel." Ana took a shuddering breath. She knew that her adrenaline was still pumping and would crash soon. She was glad that Christopher was there with her finally. "People swarmed the car pretty quickly. I don't know what I did, but my arm is pretty sore, and it hurts to breath deep."

Christian looked over the head of the woman he was growing to care for more and more. "Dr. Trevelyan, can you tell me what's going on?" He knew his mother would take excellent care of her and he was thankful that she was once again in the ER.

"I'm going to send her to get a few x-rays. I'm worried about her arm though. I was trying to convince her to take her shirt and jacket off so that I could inspect it. She's complaining of pain too close to where her gunshot wound was. I want to make sure that the incision didn't reopen. As of right now, I can rule out a concussion, but I can't say that she won't go into shock once the adrenaline wears off. Our Ana here is a little stubborn." Grace Grey knew there was more to the woman before and her relationship with her son. They may not be together, Grace knew that Christian was undercover and charged with protecting the woman, but Grace knew, looking at the two of them, that if they hadn't already, they were well on their way to falling in love with each other.

"Ana, let the doctor do what she needs to do. Here I'll help you." Christian didn't wait for an answer before he was helping Ana pull off her jacket. She had started to unbutton her shirt when he turned to toss the jacket onto a chair next to the bed Ana was sitting on. Christian's breath caught watching her delicate fingers work each button back through the holes securing the shirt closed. He silently groaned wishing that she was undressing in front of him for different reasons.

"Christopher, can you help me with this? Moving my arm up really hurts." Ana was trying to shrug the shirt off, but it was stuck on top of her right shoulder, and she couldn't reach it with her injured left arm.

Christian groaned seeing the gap in the front of the shirt where she had unbuttoned it. "You know this wasn't what I had in mind when I think of undressing you." Christian was kicking himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He knew his mother was in the room with them and likely heard every word he said. The groan that escaped his mouth was accompanied by Ana's sharp intake of breath.

Ana looked up at Christopher through hooded eyes. She'd spent the better part of the last week dreaming of him and what she wanted him to do to her, with her, but he was right. This wasn't what she had in mind either. The fact that he admitted to thinking of her made her insides clench. "I know." It was all she could say as he took hold of the silk of her shirt and pushed it down her arms, leaving her clad in only a soft pink lacy bra from the waist up. She continued to hold his gaze as he pulled the shirt away from her. When he finally looked down at her, she could see him close his eyes quickly. When they reopened, they were blazing with desire. Even with the pain she felt, Ana wanted nothing more than to be alone with Christopher. He placed a small kiss on her shoulder, brief, but electrifying nonetheless, before he stepped back to allow the doctor to examine her.

"Alright, Ana. I can already see bruising starting in from the seatbelt. It's across your stomach as well as your chest. That's pretty typical, but it's going to be ugly and tender tomorrow. Nothing to help that really. You can apply ice packs if it's too much and I'll be sure you've got some anti-inflammatories before you leave." Grace regarded her patient. She had seen the way Ana and Christian stared at each other. Even now that she was talking to Ana, the young woman's eyes strayed from the doctor in front of her and to the man standing to the side of the exam room. "I want to listen to your lungs before I examine the arm. I have a feeling that you're aren't going to be so calm once I touch the skin there. I can already see one of the stitches is ripped, but I want to see if the wound re-opened at all."

Ana did as Dr. Trevelyan instructed her as she listened to her lungs. She knew she wasn't laboring for breath, but she wasn't stupid enough to keep quiet about the pain in her side. "While it hurts to move my arm up, and I'm sure that is more from the previous injury than it is the wreck, My side really hurts. It doesn't hurt to breath, but I'm definitely more comfortable slouched over than sitting up straight."

"That's good to hear. I'm bringing in a portable x-ray in a moment, I suspect that your ribs aren't fractured, just merely bruised. Some wrapping with an ace bandage and ice packs will help with that. I can prescribe a pain pill, but I think the anti-inflammatories will do what you need them too. You'll have a couple days of discomfort, but nothing too bad." Grace watched a sigh of relief escape her charge. She knew Ana wouldn't listen to her if she suggested taking another day off from work, so she knew that a pain pill would be out of the question. Grace didn't know Ana well, but she knew the type. The drive to succeed and push her own happiness aside to show the world what she can do. It was the same drive within her own son. Grace knew she'd failed Christian many years ago, but she vowed that she would make it up to him. He was here, for however long at least, and she was determined to show him that she was proud of him.

"Thanks, doc. I appreciate it. You think that if I come in one more time and get my card punched I can get the next visit free?" Ana was trying to be funny, but the grunt from her left had her looking at the man that haunted her dreams.

"Anastasia." It was all he could say. Christian didn't want to think about her getting hurt again. He was certain this was all the Papz, no matter how little Logan believed it was connected, Christian knew it was only a matter of time before the Papz got close enough to really hurt her. Christian knew that he had to stick close to her, try to get her to talk so that he could figure out who it was before she could be seriously hurt again. He just hated the deception required behind it all. He wanted to take this woman and hold her in his arms. He knew she was safe there. Christian wanted to kiss her and make love to her. If the dreams he'd had the last few nights were anything like the reality would be, he knew he would find a way to stay in Seattle when this was done. That is if Ana doesn't kill him. Christian knew that she was going to be heartbroken when she found out he was dishonest about his name. No matter how much he told her that everything else was true, everything he told her about himself, it wouldn't matter. She would see that he lied about his name and kept the details of the case from her. Ana would fall out of love with him, and it would leave him heartbroken. He knew where he was headed with her and he feared that one more day spent in her company, one more soft caress, one more passionate kiss, just one more of those innocent desired filled looks she gives him, Christian would be irrevocably shattered. He would be too deep in love to ever get past her rejection.

"Sorry." Ana knew it was in poor taste, but she only wanted to lighten his mood. He was always so serious. She just wanted to see him smile. Ana knew that he was only supposed to be here to help her until they found the guy that sent the package, but she ached whenever she thought of Christopher finding his replacement and moving onto his next client. She hated to believe that he was getting so close to her because of his job. She was confident that he didn't spend time with other clients like he did her. In her dreams, they made passionate love, but he also took her for a fun easy going day on a sailboat. Even now, they simply talked when they had free moments. She shared a lot with him that she hadn't shared with many others in her life. She wanted to share more. For the first time in her life, she wanted to tell someone what happened to her on her graduation night, but she couldn't. Ana wouldn't. She couldn't risk it. Ana knew she was falling in love with him. Ana knew that it would only be a matter of a few days before she woke and felt the desire and need to shout I love Christopher Tate to the world. One more of his soft kisses to her forehead, the hand to the small of her back, the way he knows her lunch order before she picks up a menu. The man has even learned to anticipate her coffee needs better than Andrea. Just a few more hours snuggled into his side watching TV with him and she would be hopelessly in love. Next month he would move on to his next assignment, and she would be left a shell of a woman without his love. Resolved to what was inevitable, Ana knew she would take what she could get from him for as long as she could get it. At least she would have loved someone finally.

"Don't apologize, just don't joke like that. Please." Ana could see the strain on Christopher's face. She longed to reach up and stroke his cheek, but the good doctor was standing in her way. "I don't like seeing you hurt. It's my job to protect you, and twice I've failed it seems."

Christian hating feeling like this. He hated feeling period, but Christian was fine feeling Ana's love for him and his love for her. However, he didn't want to see her hurt. It tore at his soul to see her in pain. "Chris, do you think you can come stand behind her and help support her. I need to move her arm now, and she's going to instinctively flinch and try to pull away." Christian saw the concern in his mother's eyes, and he knew what she meant. Moving to sit on the bed behind Ana, Christian hooked one arm over her shoulder, placing his hand at her side under her breast. When his mother lifted Ana's arm, he would be able to pin her to his chest while his other arm wrapped around her waist.

Ana felt Christopher's hands on her, and she instinctively relaxed. She always melted when he touched her. She never felt cherished the way she did over the weekend watching movies in her bed with him. "Thank you." She whispered the acknowledgment to him knowing the pain was coming.

Grace slowly lifted Ana's arm, watching her face for signs of discomfort. By the time she had the arm lifted straight out, Ana's eyes were shut tight with silent tears leaking from the corners. "I know it hurts Ana. I'll be quick. You've ripped a couple stitches but nothing too bad. I'm going to go ahead and snip the rest of them since they were due to come out in a few days anyway. There is a small tear in your original incision, but we'll use a butterfly enclosure until it heals. You can use the ointment I gave you last time and cover it for the next couple of days."

Ana listened to the doctor's soothing voice, but it was Christopher's gentle strokes across her belly that settled her. For the next two hours, nurses and Dr. Trevelyan were in and out of the room. Christian never left Ana's side except when they took the x-rays. He noted when Sawyer had shown up to tell him that Ryan was being released to his girlfriend's care that Sawyer seemed particularly agitated about something. A mild concussion, some cuts, and a few burns from the airbag, that was all Ryan suffered; he had been lucky. Things could have been a lot worse than they are. Sawyer told them a preliminary inspection of the car at the scene indicated the brakes had failed. Sawyer and Christian both suspected someone had tampered with the vehicle. It was one of the few things Sawyer could agree with the man on.

Ana was still sitting in her bra, waiting for Dr. Trevelyan to come back and tell her that she would be discharged. "Christopher, can you help me get my shirt back on? It shouldn't be long before I get discharge papers." She was tired of sitting there feeling so exposed. Her arm had been re-wrapped, and she'd taken the ibuprofen earlier when offered, but it still hurt lifting it.

"What if I said I liked the way you looked now?" Christian had been standing against the wall by the closed door going through a few things on his phone, checking in with his team. Now he tucked the phone into the breast pocket inside of his suit jacket before pushing off the wall and moving toward her with a confident stride and a cocksure smirk on his face.

Ana watched as mirth danced in Christopher's eyes the closer he got to her. He reached up, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, stroking the back of his fingers across her cheek toward her chin, lifting her face up toward his. "Even now, you are more stunning than anyone I've ever met."

Christian was not lying to her about this. He might be forced to lie about his identity and his real job, but he refused to lie about anything else. Christian knew the consequences would be dire when she found out, but the look in her eyes when she looked at him made him pause. He didn't want to hold back anymore. She was injured once again, and this time Christian had not been there with her. He wouldn't allow it to happen anymore. He would protect her body at all costs but her heart, well he knew that they were both in deeper than they should be already.

Ana raised her right hand grasping Christopher's left arm as he moved closer to her in the space between her legs as they dangled off the side of the hospital bed. "Chris." Ana wondered at the voice that left her throat. She sounded raspy and sexy, even to her ears. Locking eyes she leaned up toward him, wanting to be as close to him as she could be.

Christian wrapped his right arm around Ana, settling at the small of her back as he pulled her close, leaving no space between the two of them anymore. He looked to her lips and decided if he was going to do this, it was worth doing right. Christian could hear the sharp intake of Ana's breath as he moved in, intent on pressing his lips to hers. "Anastasia."

Ana felt herself melt. She had never heard someone say her name the way he did. It sounded like a plea and a benediction at the same time. When Ana realized he was leaning in to kiss her, she let the lids of her eyes slip closed as she leaned in to meet his lips with her own. For days she had thought of the kiss she gave him at the gala. She knew it was a ploy, a way for her to get yet another dig at Ros Bailey. This, however, would be just for them, Christopher and Anastasia.

Christian had no restraint left, and he felt the gentlest touch of her lips against his. She sighed as he started to press in more earnestly. Christian wanted to take her bottom lip between his teeth. He spent hours in agony watching Ana chew her lip. Ana ghosted her lips across his readily to take what she wanted.

"Anastasia Rose Steele! Do you think you could quit trying to die?" Ana tried to pull back away from Christopher at the volume of her best friend's voice. She hadn't heard the door to the room open. "One would think that you wish to die a virgin."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Just a week left to the ending. Be sure and find me on Facebook, Jenalynn Roberts. My author page only requires a like and you can enter a drawing for a free copy of the book as well as sign up to be an advance reader.**

 **I don't own FSoG or it's characters. This story plotline is my own. Mistakes are my own, I don't have a beta.**

 **Laters,**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 18**

"Christopher, I promise, if you suggest one more time that I stay home the rest of the week or skip the SIP party Friday, I'm going to block all of your crime shows on the DVR. I'm rich enough that I can find a way to have NCIS canceled immediately." Ana was annoyed after listening to Kate and Christopher try to convince her once again to stay home. "And as for you Katherine Kavanaugh, I'll hire someone to break into your apartment while you're at work and destroy every pair of Jimmy Choos you own. The Chanel suit you love will be shredded, and then the Manolo Blahniks that I bribed the designer into creating just for you. I'm going to donate them to charity and demand they be sold to some no-name college student that plans to immediately go to the trashiest bar and drink so much she then pukes on the shoes." Ana refused to kowtow to their demands.

Ana had had enough of their ganging up on her. Ever since Kate walked into the hospital room the night before, it's been a cage fight to get a moment alone. Kate had embarrassed Ana with her virgin comment. She knew that Ana wasn't a virgin, Ana had told her so. Kate refused to acknowledge her non-virgin status though. "Best friend 101, you must share every detail of how, when, where, and with whom you lost your v-card for it to count. If you're not willing to give details, it's for only two reasons. One, it was so horrible, and you want to simply forget it, or two, you just don't remember because you had to much to drink. In either case, it doesn't count." Ana would never tell Kate how right she was after that.

"Damn Ana, way to be a bitch. Fine, go to work tomorrow. See if I care when the Paparazzi shove their cameras in your face, and you aren't ready to answer their questions." Kate huffed as she sat back and settled into the overstuffed couch that she claimed when she showed up earlier in the afternoon to join Ana and Christopher for their movie marathon.

"Kate, listen to me. I don't care about the paparazzi, I never have. Only when they start bringing my family into it, do I get upset. They can say what they want, so long as it's not slanderous. If they start reporting lies, then do what you're paid to and fix it. I've been over this before. I am a successful businesswoman, I am not out to be a Kardashian or a member of the Trump family. My personal life is none of their business. What happened yesterday, will not be commented on other than to say that myself and my driver received only minor injuries and the Seattle police department is investigating. There will be no comments about the speculation surrounding the crash, it's none of anyone's business. I've told you this." Ana was frustrated with Kate. Ana knew she wanted her to have a more prominent presence, but she felt her life should be her own.

"I know you don't want to be famous Ana, but I know that if you would just sit down with one of the networks and answered their questions the interest would die down some." Kate was pleading her case once more. She knew she would never get Ana to agree to an interview with the E! Network, but Diane Sawyer called. The only person to top Diane was Barbara Walters herself.

"I told you that if you could promise that no personal questions would be asked I would consider it." Ana blew a puff of air out of her pouty lips to push her hair out of her face as she crossed her arms across her chest ready to square off with Kate once again. Watching Kate narrow her eyes, Ana hears Christopher next to her trying and failing to stifle a laugh.

"What is it Chris? What's so funny?" Ana was getting more agitated as the conversation wore on.

"Sorry, Ana. You just look so cute sitting here with your arms crossed like that. I know you're trying to be stern, but you're so stinking cute." Christian couldn't help but think of how adorable she looked. It would have been an intimidating look if she were in one of her power suits, but in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top and her hair in braided pigtails, it was adorable.

"Whatever." Ana huffed and tried to wiggle out from under Christopher's arm. "I'm not doing any interviews Kate, unless they are strictly about the business. No personal questions. I'm not answering about where I got my startup money, or supposed secret weddings, or alleged affairs with married men or women for that matter. You know as well as I do that no matter how much they promise, that they will ask something personal. I can't even count the number of times the supposed press has alluded to my being a lesbian as a reason for never appearing in public with a man. I saw the Nooz article on Sunday. I saw where they called Chris my beard. I'm not going to give anyone the chance to drag my private life into the public."

Kate shook her head. She needed Ana to answer some questions. Her department was flooded with more inquiries in the last week than they have had been in the previous year. "We have to give them something, or I'm going to need to hire two new interns just to answer phones and say "No comment" to everyone they speak to."

"Hire however many you need to, just don't ask me about another great opportunity." Ana was done with this conversation. She needed to steer her away from work and onto something new. "So how go things with Bob the Builder?"

Kate giggled. She knew Ana liked calling Elliot that because it irritated him. "You know he hates being called that."

"I know. It's exactly why I do it. I had accounts payable address his last payment to Bob the Builder when they mailed it on Monday." Ana chuckled to herself because she knew that Elliot would call her and demand expensive beer to compensate for his pain and suffering.

"That seems a little mean, Ana." Christian laughed with Ana. He liked seeing this playful side of her.

"Nah, he'll demand payment for his pain and suffering. That or he'll send a mariachi band to the building to serenade me again." Christians eyes bugged out a little bit as he saw the fit of giggles Ana and Kate erupted in.

"A mariachi band?" Christian was flummoxed. Who was this man? Christian wondered if he should be wary of the man coming into contact with Ana. Christian's profile for his unsub stated that the suspect had a prior relationship with Ana. How long ago had she met Kate's boyfriend?

"Yeah, when I met him, Kate's lips were fused to his. I was running late in a meeting and sent her in my place to meet with him. We were getting quotes because my last contractor had tried to rip me off on the price of lumber. He thanked me for introducing him to his future ex-wife. I sent him a set of brochures for divorce attorneys the next day, and apparently, he was eating lunch with his mother in his office when his secretary gave them to him. Next day I had a mariachi band enter my office while I was handing out instructions to my heads of departments. They immediately started serenading me, and when they were done, they told me the band was from my lover." Kate started laughing so hard after that tears were leaking out the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, no you don't Steele. If you don't finish the story, I will." Kate took a deep breath trying to calm herself enough to finish the story. "Every day after that she got a bouquet of flowers, and all each card said was "from your lover." After a week of flowers a man showed up in a clown suit and security had to escort him from the building. He was screaming at the receptionist to just call Ana and tell her that her lover was downstairs."

Christian laughed at that moment. A clown. That was the funniest thing he had heard in a long time. Christian's heart clenched a little thinking of his own goofball brother. Elliot was the class clown, not that he ever shared his humor with Christian. If anything, Christian was the butt of Elliot's cruelest jokes.

"Yeah, well a video of the clown showed up on the Nooz, and then I had to listen to the rumors for weeks in my own building. So now we don't say his name anymore. He is only known as Bob the Builder. Although he is the exclusive contractor for SHE now. He does excellent work. He really can build anything." Ana grabbed a handful of popcorn out of the bowl in Kate's lap and proceeded to shove as much of it in her mouth. "Seriously, he's a good guy. You'd like him, Chris."

"Oh!" Kate sat up straight as she looked at Christopher and Ana. "We should double date next week. I'd suggest this weekend, but we're going to New York just the two of us."

Ana looked at Chris. He shrugged not knowing what else to do. Frankly, he would like to meet this man. Christian loved seeing Ana so relaxed and felt the need to shake his hand in thanks for keeping her from being so serious all the time. "I'll look at my schedule tomorrow and let you know Kate," Ana answered. She felt the need to talk to Chris immediately and privately but knew Kate wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

Ana felt a pull to Chris like no other and had felt a constant need to touch him since the kiss in the hospital yesterday. She would even admit to herself she felt the need to strangle Kate for more than her virgin comments. Kate had interrupted what Ana was sure would have been the most epic kiss of all time. Ana ached thinking of what was happening between her and Chris. She didn't want it to end and felt the need to discuss the direction of their relationship, or if there was a relationship to even talk about. Ana wanted to enjoy her time with him while she had him and was insecure about bringing it up though. She didn't know how to navigate an adult relationship and feared that Chris would shy away from anything if she tried to define it. That's what men do right?

Christian thought to himself as they settled into to finish the latest movie. He had so many things running through his mind. He needed to find his killer and stop the man before he could do real harm to Ana. Christian was sure that everything so far was connected to the Papz and was getting frustrated with the team that was working the case while he was undercover. Everything seems to have stalled while he waits for Ana to reveal some possible secret past that would lead to a suspect.

Then there was his family. He had seen him mother more times than he could count and all but one had been with Ana as his mother's patient. He had to purposely miss an appointment so that his father didn't see him and the same for his sister. The only person he hadn't run into or had to maneuver to avoid was his brother. That was a good thing though. Running into Elliot, even without Ana, would destroy everything. If Elliot saw Christian coming, he would attack like a pirana, and he wouldn't let Christian go until his carcass was the only thing left. Christian would never understand the contempt his brother held for him. He would never figure out what event occurred to make Elliot hate him so or why Elliot did everything he could to make the rest of the family hate him.

Ana looked at Christopher with his brow furrowed. She recognized the introspective and concentrated look on his face. She knew he was buried in his thoughts. Ana burrowed further into his side, feeling his grip around her shoulders tighten as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.


	19. Chapter 19

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 19**

"Ana, would you like something to drink?" Christian and Ana had been at the SIP party for half an hour having already heard from their non-fiction editor, Christian wondered who they would have to listen to next. He was sweating bullets when they first arrived, fearing running into his sister, but he was put at ease when another woman had approached and started rattling on about last minute details. Mia was at another function coordinating, and the mystery woman was her counterpart here tonight.

"Actually, if you could find a bottle of water, with the cap sealed, I would appreciate it." Ana was nervous, wanting the entire night to go off without a hitch. She and Christian had been bombarded with paparazzi when they arrive, and the questions weren't getting any better. She refused to answer a single one with even a "no comment" after they accused setting everything up as a publicity stunt. Ana watched Christopher walk to the bartender's stand and ask for a bottle of water. She loved the way he looked in his navy blue suit tonight. It had been accidental, but Christopher and Ana matched tonight. His navy suit was complemented with a dark gray button up shirt and a navy and silver striped tie. Ana was wearing a navy bodycon dress with a bateau neckline and cap sleeves. Her dress featured a wide beige wrapped scarf belt that tied in the front. She wore a pair of nude pumps and simple pearl and diamond earrings. Her hair was in loose curls, and the minute Ana walked out of her room, Christopher had swept the hair from her neck and placed a kiss behind her ear as he told her how beautiful she looked.

"Ana, I'm glad to finally see you without your dog around. I've been trying to get a moment alone with you all week, but your secretary refused to put me through." Ana rolled her eyes and took a deep breath as she turned to see Jack Hyde standing less than two feet from her.

"Mr. Hyde, I've warned you once already. This is a professional environment. I am your boss. You would do well to address me properly. This is the second time I have had to correct you for your inappropriate address of myself. Another will require a formal reprimand with HR. As for the supposed dog, Christopher is my boyfriend and just over there getting the two of us some drinks." Ana motioned with her hand toward the end of the room where Chris was standing watching the two of them as he waited to be served. "As for needing my time, you were instructed to email me. You failed to do that. I have much to focus on. Now I will give you enough time until Chris walks back over here to tell me what was so important that you badgered my personal assistant for the last three days, but couldn't send an email about."

Jack straightened to his full height, hating having been talked down to by this woman. She was younger than he and Jack knew that Ana felt she was better than him only because of the size of her bank account. Jack knew she needed a strong man to reprimand her and show her where her place really was in the world. He would have to wait though. He had time; first, he needed to ensure his position in the company. "I wanted to talk to you about Roach. The rumor around the office is that he's retiring now that the company is no longer his. I wanted to put my name in for the CEO position. I think I would do an excellent job, the best even."

Ana took a step back, crossed her arms and regarded the man before her coolly. She knew that Jack's days were numbered. They had finally gotten several of his former assistants to file formal complaints against him and the company. Jerry Roach and his family wouldn't know what hit them when they received the papers from the lawyers Ana directed the ladies to. "Tell me, Mr. Hyde, as the director of the fiction department, and an editor for the last ten years, what do you think about ebooks and their market?" Ana spent weeks combing over the data her team had gathered and couldn't figure out why SIP had failed to venture into the market that was quickly dominating the publishing world as technology advanced.

"Technology is destroying the publishing world. The process of getting a literary agent, an editor, and publishing an actual book is being tossed aside so that any two-bit hack with half a brain can write a piece of garbage and publish on their own. Ebooks are flooding the minds of the world with trash. Frankly, I think that moving SIP into the ebook market is a waste of resources." Jack felt the loss of control when thinking of ebooks and the marketing packet all the editors had been handed that morning. "I think that hiring interns to scour the self-published market for writers to sign is a waste as well. I think that if the writer were credible and capable of accomplishment, they would be signed already or have sent a manuscript to the publishing houses already."

"Interesting. My research team pulled numbers when I was looking into this acquisition. Amazon makes over $5 billion a year in book sales. 30% of that alone is ebooks, and 16% of Amazon's authors are self-published. Ebooks are cheaper to produce as there are no print costs; they are easier to market with the use of social media as well." Ana caught Chris approaching out of the corner of her eye. "As the head of the fiction department, it is your job to keep ahead of trends. Fiction genres are expanding with the growth of ebooks, especially with the romance genre. There are over twenty subcategories on Amazon in romance alone. SIP holds contracts with only two romance authors. We need to be expanding and signing more authors, placing our name along the lines of Penguin and Random House. The interns that will be hired will be responsible for finding the next EL James. I don't mean to focus on the subject matter of her books, but instead on the success that came from her putting her own work out their first. We need to create a wheelhouse like that."

"Water m'lady." Christian saw Jack Hyde as he had approached Ana. He tried to hang back just to watch the two of them interact. Ana seemed heated, what about he wasn't sure, but he had noticed the way Hyde's face grew red, and the vein on his forehead became more pronounced as Ana spoke. "What have I missed?" Christian placed a kiss to Ana's cheek as he moved a hand to the small of her back, staking a claim in front of the weasel looking at him like he had grown two heads.

"Ms. Steele and I were discussing our differing views about the future of the company. I was trying to help her to see that she needed to defer to my expertise since I was the more experienced one in the world of publishing." Hyde fiddled with the buttons of his jacket as he tried to seem calm and confident.

"Actually, I was addressing Mr. Hyde's opinions on ebooks. SIP has refused to jump into the market, and I'm forcing our foot in the door." Ana opened her bottle of water and raised an eyebrow at Jack as she took a sip of the cold drink.

"Ms. Steele, I would have loved to have had this conversation this week, if you had returned any of my calls before you made the mistake of presenting our newly formed ebook department to the public. I fear that the success of SIP will fall short with this development. I've told Roach for years we didn't need to venture outside of print and we've done quite well, well enough to catch the eye of a conglomerate like Steele Holding." Jack looked smug, and Ana chuckled to herself. She was going to wipe that look off his face here and now and she couldn't wait to see his face on Monday when she fired him.

"Actually, it was the companies failures that brought SIP to my attention. The company was on the verge of bankrupt. SIP was the cheapest and the one that I would be able to turn around and save the most jobs at. This wasn't the only publishing house I was looking at purchasing. As you claim to be the reason that SIP failed to join the ebook movement, then I should be able to hold you responsible for dropping the ball on the missed earnings. As for not returning your phone calls Mr. Hyde, I instructed you to send an email. However, I'll give you the concession of a meeting on Monday. I believe I have blocked the whole morning off for SIP business. Let's say 9 am?" Ana smirked at the smile that spread on Jack Hyde's face. The man was confident in thinking that he had won something. How, Ana couldn't guess. The man just admitted that he personally held the company back, therefore, contributing to it's near bankruptcy.

"9 am it is Ms. Steel." Jack didn't say anything else as he left.

* * *

For the last two hours, Christian had watched various editors and authors talk to the crowd about the future of SIP. The authors seemed genuinely excited, and all the editors but Hyde were engaged with the group. Jerry Roach had talked with the crowd after Ana spoke earlier. Roach would be leaving SIP as CEO at the end of July, giving SHE plenty of time to find the perfect replacement and allow him time to help them acclimate to the company.

More than once, Christian had spied two of Logan's coverts watching in the shadow, or even Luke lurking in the background. Ana was speaking with her COO Hannah and another woman when Christian's phone beeped. A quick glance told him Cable had something. Christian took note of where everyone was and moved across the room to see what his man knew. He maneuvered himself so that he could keep watch of Ana while he talked to his fellow agent. "Make it quick."

"Prescott found a possible police report with Steele's name on it. All we know is that it's in Portland. It was never officially filed, and the sergeant that allegedly took her statement won't give us anything without her consent. Not even a subpoena will work without a statement from Ana. We're backed into a corner on this. Logan said you have till the weekend to get her talking about whatever might have happened in Portland. I've been ordered to tell you that you have 48 hours to turn yourself into Fabio." Cable looked as agitated as Christian was feeling. He refused to stoop to such tactics, but he was clueless as to how to get her to talk about what could be in that report.

Looking the agent in the eyes, Christian spit out his response. "Tell Logan to kiss my ass. I'm the undercover, and since I can't reveal myself, I'll do it my way." Christian stalked off not knowing that Sawyer had seen the two men talking. Luke was suspicious, not knowing who the man Tate was talking to was. He turned away to find Ana again, hoping to speak to her without Tate around and to try and talk some sense into her about her growing affection for the man they didn't know much about. Luke found himself looking for Ana and feeling frantic when he realized he'd spent too much time paying attention to Tate and had lost track of her.

Christian found Hannah and the woman she'd been talking with earlier, but no Ana. He started to scan the crown, and when he didn't see her immediately, he started toward the bathroom, cursing himself for taking his eyes off of her for even a second. Christian was only a few feet from turning the corner to the hallway housing the restrooms when he heard a woman screaming followed by a man groaning. Christian didn't notice Luke beside him until he saw Ana clutching her right hand against her chest and Hyde was on the floor cupping himself as he groaned in pain.

"Ana." Ana pulled her gaze away from the slimeball on the floor when she heard her name from her left. "Ana, baby, tell me what happened." Ana wanted to break down, but there were too many people and paparazzi outside still.

"Call security and have Hyde removed from the building out the back entrance. Make sure he's not allowed in the building again." Ana looked at Luke as she spoke and waited for him to leave and gather security as instructed. Once Luke had left the hallway, Ana threw herself at Christopher. "Get me out of here. The creep cornered me and was harassing me for taking over what should be his. When I spurned his advances yet again, he pushed me up against the wall and proceeded to grope me. I may have broke hand punching him in his dick. The shock on his face was evident when he stepped back. I pushed him down and kneed him in the stomach, and once he was on the ground, I stomped on his groin again when he called me a cock teasing bitch."

"Deep breaths Ana. Security will take care of him. Once they get here, we'll go out front and make our excuses. You can break down in the car once you're past the photogs. I'll take care of you." Christian was holding Ana to him, one arm wrapped around her and the other stroked her hair. Ana had wrapped both her arms around him and was holding on for dear life.

"You promise?" Her voice was so soft, and he felt his heartbreak. Christian wanted to break Hyde's nose for daring to touch what was his.

"Always." He was honest, Christian would always take care of her. He would take care of her even when she realized he'd lied about who he was and kicks him to the curb. It's what you do for those you love, care for them no matter what. Christian knew he loved Ana, he just had to hope it would be enough.


	20. Chapter 20

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 20**

The drive back to Escala was intense. Ana could feel the tension radiating off of Christopher as he held her hand tightly in his in the back of the SUV. Ryan had yet to be released for driving duty, so a gentleman by the name of Brian Davis was driving the vehicle tonight. Luke had managed to catch up with the couple as the car pulled up and hopped into the front seat before they could pull away. No one was talking yet, afraid to speak in front of the new guy.

Unable to stand the silence any longer, Luke broke ranks. "I want to know everything and I mean everything. Leave no details out." Luke was turned in his seat glaring at the two knowing that Ana had already told Tate. Sawyer hated being left out. He hated feeling like the little kid trying to sit in the big chair with the other adults at the table. Luke Sawyer had known Ana Steele since she started her company and in that time they had become wonderful friends. Luke would consider Ana to be his only friend in truth. He knew Ana's dad had wanted a more romantic relationship between the two in the past. However, Luke never developed those sort of feelings for her. He knew she didn't feel that way either. No, Luke and Ana looked at each other as brother and sister. Luke reasoned that they grew as close as they did because she was feeling the absence of her older brother. Luke had subconsciously stepped into the role over the last few years and become Ana's chief protector. A protector that Ana failed to listen to on most days. Then came the gunshot. He had failed her that day, and he would regret it for the rest of his life, but Luke knew he would regret it more if he allowed something much worse to happen. So, Luke made a call he never wanted to make, and now he was suffering the consequences. Those consequences came in the form of a tall, dark, and deadly, GQ model that posed as a bodyguard. Christopher Tate had come in and bulldozed all over Luke Sawyer and his relationship with Ana. It was Tate she watched movies with and ate her lunch with each day. It was Tate that was holding her hand now and making vows of protection. Luke Sawyer was jealous, he would be a lesser man if he failed to admit that. He just wasn't jealous for the reasons most people would think. He just missed his friend.

As Luke listened to Ana tell her story once more, he pulled his phone out and text his inside man at the police department. The man was prepared to pick Hyde up on Monday after he had been escorted out the back of SIP, but Luke would have them do it immediately. "A detective will be meeting us at the apartment. Anything else I'm not aware of?" Luke pointedly at Tate as he asked the question.

"None. I had my guy at the party as well, he made a fuss about being bored, and I had to reprimand him for failing to keep eyes on Hyde. That was supposed to be the man's focus tonight. I was no better losing track of Ana though." Christian hung his head. He hated to tell another lie, but he knew Luke must have seen him talking with Cable.

"It's fine. Between Daddy and Zack, I know what to do in that type of situation. He never had a chance of doing more than groping me. His ass is fried though. Security updated all the office cameras on Wednesday night while the building was closed. All open hallways have audio as well. They weren't supposed to start using the cameras until Monday, but I got an email for SIPs security team that the surveillance feeds to the building were already live." Ana was smiling to herself. Hyde would be locked up for good with that and the women she had managed to convince to come forward. "The only area that wasn't working yet was the reception space where the party was at. That's being fixed tonight after the party. Most of the floor is in view of the front windows, and I didn't want anyone passing by and seeing the men working and calling the cops or SIP the next day."

Christian breathed a sigh of relief as he thought of his conversation with Cable. He knew it would be only minutes before Luke would be accessing the feed from tonight to hear what he and Cable had been talking about otherwise. "You know Hyde was at the literacy dinner." Christian wondered again if the drugs had been introduced by the Papz or if it was Hyde looking for an opportunity.

"I know he was. I'm not sure if he had anything to do with that or not. That will be for the police department to decide. Right now, I want to get home, take these heels off and pour a big glass of wine. Maybe I'll go to Bainbridge tomorrow. Fresh air would do me some good." Luke didn't like the sound of that. He needed to keep her close so that he could keep an eye on her and Christopher.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow." Christian would do what he could to get her to relax and talk with him. He hated to think of what might be in the mysterious Portland report, and he feared asking her about it. Christian's gut told him it was real and that the report would change everything.

The rest of the car ride was completed in silence. Ana was tired, even though it was just after 9 p.m. She wanted to change, drink her wine, and go to bed. When Davis pulled the car to the front of Escala, Luke hopped out of the front before the car was entirely stopped, opening the back door for Ana. Christian exited quickly behind Ana as the three proceeded toward the elevators. Luke stopped briefly at the front desk to warn them about the detective that would be arriving soon.

Ana felt the tension radiating along her body as the doors to the elevator closed. She felt suffocated with the testosterone that was flowing from the men in the elevator with her. Breathing a sigh of relief as the elevator ride came to an end, Ana heard the ding signaling the opening of the doors. Before she could exit the elevator though, Ana was shoved back, and she could hear Luke screaming into his phone as she saw Christopher pull a gun from somewhere under his coat. "What's going on?"

"Stay with Sawyer, Ana!" It was the only response she received from Chris as he rushed out of the foyer, looking for what she didn't know.

"I'm telling you someone has been here. You're going to need a whole team. Unfortunately, we don't have personal in-house surveillance set up. You'll have to get with the building security for any possible tapes." Luke was barking into his phone and the minute he disconnected the call he turned on Ana, placing a hand on her shoulder holding firm. "You see this, take a look around you, Anastasia. I've told you for years, this place needed to be wired like Steele House and you needed someone here 24/7. If there had been someone in the penthouse, this would have never happened. When will you finally listen to me? When, Ana? Are you going to wait until you're in a coma and have no choice? I can't do my job if you won't listen to me. Frankly, if you're going to keep pushing my recommendations aside, then what is the point of me sticking around?"

Ana watched the anger flood into Luke's eyes before spilling over into sadness. The idea of Luke leaving her, not just as her chief of security, but as her friend also hurt Ana more than she cared to admit. Luke was her second brother. She took her first look around her. The foyer was splashed with paint, blood red, and someone had taken black spray paint and written cock tease on the wall opposite the elevator doors. "Luke." Ana barely heard her voice. Her favorite painting had been slashed with a knife, and the family portrait she kept over the side table was smashed to pieces on the floor. Ana moved around Luke as she knelt down to look. Someone had taken a sharpie and drawn a noose around her neck and colored over the faces of the rest of her family. "Oh God. Chris!" She leapt to her feet as she tried to dash into the apartment to look for him.

Luke acted fast grabbing Ana around the waist and holding her back. "He's fine Ana. Let him do what he's been trained to do. He needs to search the place and see if anyone is still here. He'll be back soon." Luke felt Ana's arms wrap around him as she started to shake. "He'll be okay Ana." Looking at the woman in his arms, Luke wondered just how deep Ana felt for this man. Luke saw this going in only one direction, heartbreak city. Luke knew Tate would leave for his next assignment and Ana would be in pieces. It would be for the best eventually because an effective bodyguard needs to be rational. Tate was attached to the point that he was no longer rational. Luke knew that if Tate had been thinking with more than his dick, he would have convinced Ana to give up the notion that security would cripple her privacy.

"The apartment is clear, but there is more damage throughout. It's going to take all weekend to clean it up, and there isn't much left in Ana's room to wear." Christopher's voice suddenly sounding in her ears sent Ana into her arms. He barely had his weapon holstered before she had launched herself in his arms.

"You're okay?" Ana had been worried someone would be laying in wait to hurt him when he left her in the foyer. The entire time Luke was talking to her, all Ana thought was what she would do if Chris left her. It didn't matter if he was no longer in her life because he moved onto his next job or because someone did something to him. Ana knew there was no denying it. She had fallen irrevocably in love with the man and could no longer deny it. She could fight it and try to protect her heart more, but Ana saw only more heartbreak if she did. She vowed to herself she wouldn't deny it any longer. No good would come from it. She had enough darkness in her life right now. She was going to fight for what little she could find.

"Ana, the detective is downstairs. Go with Tate and see what you can salvage and pack a bag. You won't be able to stay here this weekend. I'll call Gail and find someone to come in and make this place look good as new." Ana nodded her head at Luke as she walked out of the foyer, attached to Christopher's side as she heard the elevator ding.

"Ana, which hotel do you usually use?" Christian was at a loss for what he could do. There wasn't much left in her closet that hadn't been shredded. Her bed was torn, feathers still flying around the room when Christian had entered the room earlier.

"Can we go to Bainbridge? I won't have anything other than coffee in the fridge when we get there, but there is a ferry that leaves every hour. If we're on the 11 o'clock, we can be at the house by midnight. Not many know that I own the house, and the public records on it are sealed. I wanted to go to the beach anyway." Christian weighed the pros and cons and decided it would likely be better than a hotel. At the hotel, they would run the risk of someone seeing them and reporting it to the paparazzi.

"Sure, Ana. You grab what you can and while you do that I'll grab a bag of my own. You'll have to talk to the detective before we can leave, but then we'll head to Bainbridge." Christian was quick as he moved around the room watching her before he headed to his room, packing his room packing a bag of his own. Ana looked so resigned, and he hated that. As soon as they were back, he was going to force her to see the need for someone to be in the penthouse, even when she wasn't there. She needed her own security for the place, separate from the building's safe, and she needed to make sure it was monitored at all times. They would be having a lengthy discussion about her safety this weekend.

Over the next two hours, Christian and Ana answered the detectives' questions before they were given permission to leave finally. The crime scene crew would be monitored by Luke as they headed for the ferry. Christian loved feeling Ana in his arms as they stood over the railing at the front of the boat watching the view of the island come into focus. Ana spent nearly the entire ride telling him about the house. It was right on the beach, and she shared it with no one. She claimed it was a cottage style home, small compared to Escala, but most places would be small compared to Escala. Christian still didn't understand how one woman needed so much space.

Christian held Ana's hand in the car as they drove off the boat and he followed the GPS toward the house. Ana hadn't been lying about how quickly they would get there. In ten minutes Christian was pulling into a private drive through a small grove of trees. Pulling the car to a stop in front of a small house, Christian watched Ana's smile spread across her face. The home had a triangular build, covered in white wood siding and dark red shingles, and was apparently one story with an attic. The large windows in the front of the home were trimmed with dark green shutters on each side of the window.

"Come on." Ana didn't wait for Christopher to help her out of the car. She was bouncing on her heels as she unlocked the door. "Welcome home." Ana held the door open for Chris to carry their bags inside and as soon as he moved passed her, she shut the door and locked it, hearing the bags drop to the ground.

"Do you wan…" The words and question died in Ana's throat as Christopher fused his lips to hers. Her face framed by his large hands, Ana moaned into his mouth as she moved as close to Christopher as she could get.


	21. Chapter 21

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 21**

Ana's moan spurred Christian on. Releasing her face, Christian gripped her thighs as he pulled her skirt up and maneuvered her toward the wall. When he felt the jolt of Ana's back hitting the wall, Christian took hold of Ana's ass cheeks, one in each hand as he lifted her, Ana wrapping her legs around him instinctively. Vaguely aware of her shoes hitting the floor, Christian stroked Ana's bottom lip with his tongue, sweeping gently before tugging her lip between his teeth. The gasp Ana released was the opening Christian needed to seek the warm comfort of her mouth.  
Ana had never felt such fire in her life. She was lost to the sensation as Christopher's tongue slipping between her lips, wrestling with her own. This was the type of kiss Ana read about and feared would only ever be a dream for her. She thrust a hand in Chris's hair as she tried to pull him in closer grinding her core against him. She was quickly turning dizzy from the kiss.  
Christian pulled back a moment looking Ana in her crystalline blue eyes. It took everything in him not to ruin it all and confess to her, but he knew there was no going back, no matter what happened. He would walk through hell to protect this woman; he just wished once more that he could protect her heart as well as his. "Chris." Ana's whispered plea brought him back to the here and now.  
Ana's hands moved to push the jacket off of Christopher's shoulders. She wanted to see skin. She wanted everything with him. "Chris please." Ana pleaded with desire wanting this man to take her and claim her.  
Christian felt the alpha in him roar as she begged. He moved his hips in closer, using the force to hold Ana up against the wall as he helped her remove his jacket. He didn't wait to unbutton the shirt, ripping the thing open, having lost his tie in the car already, it was only a moment before he was bare from the waist up. Ana saw Christopher's chiseled chest and moved a hand from his shoulder as she stroked down toward his belt. Ana watched the movement of her hand until she felt his belt buckle in her fingers, her eyes snapping up to look into the wild eyes of this man. Ana kissed him again, distracting him as she pushed her chest into his as she tried to use both hands to rip his belt from his body.  
Taking advantage of her leaning toward him, Christian slipped his hands behind Ana and unzipped her dress, followed by the unsnapping of her bra. Ana felt the cool air hit her back and she leaned back so that she could move a hand down into the space between their bodies to stroke Chris.  
Christian took a moment to pull the fabric down Ana's arms, and she had to give up her futile attempts to find his hardness with her hands so that he could make her as bare as he was. "Shit, Ana. You're so damn beautiful." Christian was enthralled. Her beauty lay in the fact that she was so innocent with it. Ana knew she looked good, but she had a sensuality about her. She wasn't shy to the point that she tried to cover herself from Christian's view, but he loved the fact that she didn't feel the need to shove his face in her chest to keep him focused.  
"Christopher." Ana's breathing was shallow, and her heart was beating out of her chest. She wanted this man to take her, and she wanted it now. She pushed her hand back between, stroking the hardness she had felt earlier. Ana was not be experienced, but she knew that Chris was larger than average.  
"That's enough talking." Christian hated hearing a name that didn't belong to him slip from between her pale pink lips at this moment. It was a knife to his heart and made him realize that no matter what, he would have to keep his true feeling close to his heart. He trailed his hands down her thighs and under her skirt as he felt the lace her panties. He attacked her mouth once more, determined to leave no space within unexplored. He needed to claim this woman. Christian could feel a beast raging within him.  
Ana moved her hands behind Christopher grabbing his ass and pulling him as close as she could, doing her best to shove them down. She needed to feel more skin. Thankfully, Christopher took over for her, helping her to pull his pants and boxer down. Ana felt both his hands as the sides of her hips; her dress completely shoved around the middle of her waist now.  
Christian looked Ana in the eyes, grasping the sides of the lace separating them before ripping the thin material from her. Her gasp quickly faded into a loud moan as he probed her with two fingers, testing her wetness. Ana's mouth was firmly attached to Christian's neck as he lined himself up with her entrance. Ana couldn't wait anymore. Tilting her hips, Chris was fully sheathed within her quickly. A hiss escaped them both as they adjusted to the full and tight feelings they were each experiencing. A moment later Christian was moving, setting a furious pace.  
Ana locked both arms around Christopher's neck and her legs locked around his back, feeling the passion rise within her. He was holding Ana up with one hand under her ass, the other on the wall, giving him the leverage to tilt Ana so he could feel every depth inside of her.  
"Baby, you're gonna have to come. I need to feel you around me." Christian needed it. He needed her completion like a man needs water. "I'm so close. I need you to come with me, Ana." Ana's moans grew louder the closer she came to the peak. Christian brought his hand from the wall to her back and moved the hand under her ass to her sensitive nub, rubbing small circles. Seconds later, Ana was screaming, "Chrisssss!"  
Christian buried his face in her neck, groaning her name as she clung to him while he found his own peak. He knew it would be good between them, but he never imagined it would be this good. Christian knew he was fucked.

* * *

"Tell me something you've never told anyone else before." Ana was sitting on the beach snuggled in between Christopher's legs. They had driven to the store for food when they awoke, wrapped in each other and a tangle of sheets. Ana was sore, but she didn't want to put any distance between her and Chris. They had showered together, where Chris helped to wash her hair before laying her on the bed to make sweet and gentle love to Ana.  
"I don't speak to my family except for my mother. I was a terrible kid growing up, always angry about the way my life was before my adoption. My big brother resented me. I took away attention he felt was his alone. My mother coddled me, and he did whatever he could to make me miserable when she wasn't looking. It didn't help that I had touch issues back then because of the abuse I suffered before I was rescued. Elliot never respected my boundaries. He would walk up and slap my back and just as I was swinging to land a punch, my father would walk in, and he would shake his head making his disappointment in me known. It went on and on for years." Christian took a deep breath, not even his mother knew the full reason as to why he attacked Elliot the day that made them decide to send Christian to military school. "When I 15, I had this crush on a neighbor. She was my age, and I thought she was the prettiest thing in the world. Beth was kind and patient with me in a way only my mother had only ever been. I came home from school and found her in bed with my brother. I was devastated. He knew how I felt about her and had a line of girls around the block. It still wasn't my breaking point though. It was him and his friends circling me the next day and taunting me. He talked so many dirty and filthy things about her while the guys egged him on. It was when one of his friends accused me of being gay and claimed I needed a man to show me how it was properly done that broke through the hurt I had been in. They closed in around me as the biggest of the group started to unbuckle his pants and moved toward me. I don't know if he would have gone through with it, but hearing my own brother asking me if I was a "faggot bitch," I snapped. I attacked him. I broke his nose, and when he hit the ground, I could hear other bones broking. One of the boys tried to pull me off, but I punched him, and they all ran. My dad found us in the yard, and I was sent to military school the next day."  
Ana pulled Christopher's arms tighter around her, needing to tell her own story. "I was raped the night of my graduation." Ana spent the next few minutes with silent tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she stared at the water, wrapped tightly in Christopher's arms. "I was at a party with friends; I remember a friend trying to kiss me and I had pushed him off before going to get another drink. I don't remember much after that other than drinking. The next day I woke up naked in my bed, blood between my legs. I went to the hospital, and I let them do everything they needed, talked to a detective even. I refused to file the official report though. I was moving to Seattle the day after that and had a meeting to finalize the purchase of my first company. I didn't want to be attached to Portland anymore after that. The detective told me if I changed my mind, I had twelve years. I have my name in the press enough. I don't need to borrow trouble."  
Christian knew this was what she was talking about the night she was drugged at the literacy dinner. "So last night?" He knew what this meant, and now he was pissed at himself for taking her against the wall.  
"Last night was perfect. Don't ruin it or try to tarnish it. This morning was perfect too." Ana pulled out of Christian's arms and raised herself from the sand. "Let's walk." Holding her hand out to Chris, Ana waited, hoping that he would let her move past this.  
"What was his name?" Christian needed to know. He needed to find this man; he had to be the Papz.  
"Doesn't matter. He lives somewhere else now. He's a traveling photographer. I check to see where he is once in a while, but I try to forget he ever existed." Ana turned around looking at Chris. He was such a beautiful man. She wanted to enjoy her time here with him. "Think you can catch me?" Ana pushed her flip flops off as she dashed for the water. Christopher caught her quickly, lifting her and spinning her around as waves crashed into his legs.  
"I caught you, now what's my prize?" Christian loved the way this girl could make him forget everything else in the world and make him smile.  
"What do you want?" Ana was standing on her tip toes, hands on his shoulders as she bit her lip waiting for his answer.  
"It's getting close to dinner time. How about we spend another fifteen minutes out here before we go shower, and then I take you on a real date? A private dinner for two." Christian would give them the romance they both craved while he could. Monday they would be back in the real world, and he would need to let Logan know about Portland. Unless Ana agreed to release her report or gives a name, his hands were tied. Until then, he would enjoy being in love with this woman while he could.  
"Sounds perfect."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Just a reminder, this will not be my published story. The fanfiction version of Falling Undercover is posted as a rough draft of the original I will publish via Amazon. Before posting each chapter, I am only doing a quick sweep through the text for obvious punctuation and spelling errors.**

 **Find Jenalynn Roberts on Facebook and click the like button. Get up to date info on this release and future ones. There is a link for a promotion to win a signed paperback copy of Falling Undercover, and I am still looking for betas to read the book and post reviews. Advance Reader Copies will be sent out the Sunday August 5** **th** **via BookFunnel. Falling Undercover debuts on Friday August 10, 2018. It would be great to have lots of reviews posted that day. If you can read a 250+ page book in five days, then click the link and sign up. Haven't posted reviews to Amazon, but you review on FFN. Leave your FFN username and I'll know that you review.**

 **I didn't post a chapter yesterday and for that I am sorry. I was having a hard time with the nerves in my hands. Today I will post at least two, but I'm hoping to get three of them up. As soon as I am done with one it will go up. Epilogue is still on track to post on Sunday.**

 **Have questions, feel free to message me. AS always, I don't own FSoG's characters, but this plot line is all my own. No beta, gonna have mistakes.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 22**

"Ana, I got a text from Luke. We'll need to head back to Seattle after dinner to meet with the detectives. They have questions and want to update you on everything from the last few weeks." Christian, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed, watched Ana as she bent over, sitting on the bed to tie her white converse. They had spent most of the day again at the beach or dirtying up the sheets in the bed, and Christian's never felt happier. Every time she looked into his eyes he felt an insane desire to tell her the truth, to tell her he loves her. Ana deserves nothing less and Christian felt like a cowardly bastard for not telling her everything.

"I figured as much." Ana straightened from her spot on the bed and watched Chris in the doorway. She marveled at the way he looked in jeans and a t-shirt. She loved how tight the shirt was across his shoulders and the way the sleeves hugged his muscled arms so well. "I'm going to throw these sheets in the washer. After dinner, we can run back here and put them in the dryer and grab our bags. Gail will come out and clean everything else up during the week, but I don't want her to have to mess with our sex sheets.

"No problem. Come on, you wanted Italian tonight." Christian held his hand out to his love so that he could guide her to the door. "Have I told you how pretty you look in just a t-shirt dress and a pair of converse?"

Ana giggled as she rolled her eyes. "No you haven't, but you did mention something yesterday along the lines of me being uber sexy in my work wear, but just as appetizing in your shirt." Christian groaned thinking of her walking around the house last night in nothing but his shirt. Absolutely nothing but that shirt.

"Ana, you're killing me. We don't have time for anything else." He wanted so much to take her again, but they had only picked up a twelve count box of condoms yesterday, and they were more than halfway through them all.

"What? I'm just repeating your own words." Ana shrugged innocently as she looked up at Chris with hooded eyes. She wanted him again, but they were short on time, and she didn't need to have another meltdown while they made a pharmacy run. Ana's mood plummeted as she thought of the repercussions their actions could have had. "I'm sorry." She suddenly felt like crawling back in bed and never facing the world again.

Christian noticed the shift in Ana's mood and wondered what could have caused the sudden sullenness. "Hey, what's the matter?" Christian took hold of Ana's chin between his thumb and forefinger as he lifted her face to meet his eyes. "Baby, what's going on in that brain of yours?"

Sighing, Ana knew she couldn't get out of answering if she wanted to leave the house. "I was thinking about how irresponsible I was this weekend and the consequences for those actions. If we hadn't seen that pregnant teenager yesterday, I don't think I would have thought about birth control. I left my pills at home in the rush to leave, which isn't like me at all. Then again Gail does most of my packing for me. You had to calm me down and remind me that there was a reason the morning after pill was created. With everything going on in my life, a baby is the last thing I need right now."

Christian felt his heart clinch even further. Last night he'd dreamed of a little brown hair, blue-eyed beauty that looked like her mother and ran to him screaming daddy. Pulling Ana in close so that she could hug him, Christian kissed her hair, smelling her favorite jasmine shampoo. "It would have been fine. I'm not going to tell you that we would have lived happily ever after, this isn't a trashy romance novel. If you still become pregnant, we will find a way to make it work. That's if you want to have and keep the baby. It's your body, and you have options." Christian hated to think what would happen when he was on his next assignment, and she went looking for Christopher Tate. "I'll be here for you, no matter who tries to stand in our way. I'll be here."

Christian made this vow to himself just as much as he did to her. It was time he stopped running from life and started living it. The first step to that was quitting the undercover work. Christian was giving Logan till the end of the week to get his clearance, after that he didn't give a shit who forbid it, he was telling Ana everything.

"I'm falling in love with you Chris." Her words were whispered against his chest, and Ana wasn't sure Christopher heard her. She tightened her arms around his waist desperate not to let him go.

"Let's go get some food." Christian looked down at Ana and smiled as he placed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips.

* * *

Ana tossed her napkin back onto the table as she laughed at Christian's latest story about growing up with his little sister the fashionista. "Come on stud. Let's walk back to the house and grab our stuff."

Christian nodded as he stood and held his hand out to help Ana stand. "Sounds like a plan. I hope you know I'm going to have a hard time retreating to my own room tonight." Christian hated the idea of sleeping without her again. The last few days had been heaven, and he hated the real world encroaching on their love bubble.

"Then don't. I own the place. Remember, you're off duty once I return to the penthouse each evening. I'm sure Luke has a team inside the place having it hard wired like Fort Knox by now. So what is the issue?" Ana didn't like the idea of security dictating how she acted in her own home. Exiting the restaurant, Ana watched as people walked around the area, oblivious to who she was. It was one of the reasons she loved Bainbridge, they didn't care who Ana Steele was, what she owned, or how much money she had.

Christian shook his head as he thought of Ana ordering whoever would stay in the apartment to kiss her ass. "Let's hurry. If we can make it on the next ferry, we'll be back at Escala by 8. I'll text Luke and let him know the detectives can meet us then." Christian held Ana's firmly as he tugged her down the sidewalk.

Ana walked in companionable silence with Chris until they were a few blocks from her home. Sirens could be heard in the distance and Christian had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. A firetruck raced passed the couple and as they continued their journey to the house.

"What do you thinks going on?" Ana couldn't hold the question in as more emergency vehicles rushed down the block. She was worried the closer they got to her house.

"I'm not sure, but I see smoke." Christian had a bad feeling. He didn't want it to be true, but he was sure that Ana's house was on fire. The two continued their journey to Ana's house, arriving at the end of her drive only to be greeted by a police officer blocking their entry.

"Ma'am, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step back across the street." The gentleman was older, maybe mid-forties with graying hair and a pudgy belly. The officer seemed to take pleasure in bossing the couple around; however, Christian wouldn't stand for that.

"That's my house. What is going on? Is my house on fire?" Ana's heart was beating a rapid staccato as she thinks about the implications of her home burning. First Escala was violated, now Bainbridge. Did this guy really find her here? Could he have followed them onto the ferry somehow?

"You need to let us through." Christian stood a little taller, letting his full size and height be known. He wasn't going to stand back and let this guy keep Ana away from her home. "Now!" When the officer didn't seem inclined to let the couple enter, Christian helped Ana move around the officer and start the journey down the driveway.

"How long do you think it's been burning?" Ana whispered afraid someone would hear her. "I don't feel safe anywhere anymore."

Christian looked down at Ana and hated himself. He loved this woman and would do anything for her. He was hired to keep her safe and to make her feel safe. Christian seemed to be failing all around. The champagne, the wreck, Hyde, the break-in, and now this. Some choices were going to need to be made. Christian would give Logan until Friday to get permission to bring Ana in and tell her the truth. Christian knew that the man in the Portland report had to be the killer. Ana had to tell them who it was and let them have that case file.

After watching the crews battle the blaze for what felt like hours, a man in a white button up and a pair of black slacks approached the couple. Ana could see the badge attached to the front of the shirt as well as a gold name place. The hat on his head said chief leading her to believe he was the fire chief. "Are you the homeowners?" He stopped a few feet from Ana and Christian, where they had stood leaning on one another watching the fire die down.

"I am. Can you tell me what happened?" Ana was anxious to hear how this happened. She wanted to know if it was just bad luck following her or if she had brought trouble with her to the island.

"Well, the gas cans that were found on the back patio of the home indicate arson. We won't know for sure until we get the fire completely out and my investigator can look around. Right now it looks like everything burned. You're lucky your car wasn't any closer to the home, or it would have burned too." The man looked at Ana sympathetically. He knew who she was and the recent trouble she had. The chief was sure she was a nice girl and didn't deserve anything that was happening to her. "If you can leave your contact information, I'll have the rescue truck moved, and you can be on your way. I should have a preliminary report for you tomorrow."

Christian pulled out his wallet and handed over one of his Christopher Tate business cards. "I'm her personal security. You call me, and we'll set up a time to meet and talk. Any chance you could come to Seattle tomorrow afternoon?" Christian knew he needed to gather everyone together and get on the same page. They needed to be a team and put all the cards on the table and try and find the jackass that was doing this to his girl.

"If you want a specific time, I can meet with you after two. I'll have to take the 1 o'clock ferry. That should give my investigator plenty of time to get in here and write up his report."

Ana stood next to Christopher listening to him talk to the chief for a few more minutes. She wasn't listening to what the men were saying because she was watching the flames dancing inside the window to her favorite place. For three years this place was where she retreated to get away from being Anastasia Steele. Here was was just another resident. Ana could walk down the street, and no one would shove a camera in her face. No one stopped to ask her questions about her personal life that they had no business asking.

"Ana, baby. We can leave now. I've called Luke. The detectives will meet us at Steele House tomorrow. Luke's staying at the penthouse with us tonight, and tomorrow we'll talk about all the security upgrades will be making." Christian could see the defeated look on Ana's face. It was another spike driving into his heart. He hated that Luke would be at the apartment tonight. He didn't want to sleep without Ana, but Christian knew that if he tried to go to Ana's room, Luke would have something to say and it wouldn't be nice.


	23. Chapter 23

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 23**

"Who are we waiting on still?" Ana was back at Steele house and ready to take charge once more. She was tired of feeling like her life was out of her control. She stood at the front of the conference room in a pair of black and white pinstripe pants, a white silk three-quarters sleeved blouse and her favorite black leather heels. Her hair was pulled back today in a loose bun, and she wore no jewelry. Ana was on a mission today and wasn't about to let anyone get in her way today. She would get answers. Ana paid people to do what she told them, and she was telling them to stop this guy.

"The fire chief hasn't checked in with reception downstairs yet. The detectives are outside waiting to join us, and Luke is in his office with the Steele House security personnel he wants to add to your personal security team." Christian had gone over each employee file with Luke this morning. The only gentleman Christian had said no to was one that had been hired a year ago. Darrell Pierce had a gambling habit and lose lips in chat rooms. He would be a risk to Ana's safety if the right person sweet talked him or if the people he owed money to wanted to settle his debt with help plotting against Ana.

Looking at Christopher as he moved the files on the table around, Ana thought back to last night. They had arrived home to Escala a little after nine. Luke was pacing her living room when they walked in, and he barrelled into her hugging her tight. Something had spooked him over the weekend, but Luke refused to speak of it until the meeting. He'd told the couple about the security measures that had been put in place while they were away. The building security would be adding a keypad to the elevators in the garage and lobby this week. Anyone wanting access to the penthouse would need the code, and Luke would have the ability to change the code daily if he wished. The service elevator no longer opened to the penthouse either. A door had been installed, and a key would be needed to enter. All of the common areas in the penthouse now had security cameras installed as well. The back guest room on the second floor was now the security suite. Whoever was staying in the penthouse would be able to monitor everything from there. The feeds in the house were on a network separate from the rest of the apartment, and they automatically recorded to a server at Steele House.

"Tell Luke to bring in his men. I can start with them while we wait for the chief." Ana directed Christopher to get Luke while she sat and took a sip of her coffee. Once again today, Christopher had known her need of caffeine before even Ana knew she needed it. Chris was attentive in a way Ana never thought a man could be. He was gentle and loving with her last night after sneaking into her room. Ana felt like a teenager trying to get her boyfriend passed her dad. Their loving making had been slow and steady. Christopher spent hours worshiping her body. Ana ached this morning waking alone for the first time after the weekend.

Ana spent a few more minutes thinking about her time with Chris as she waited for the security team to join her. While she waited, Ana thought about the implications that everything was connected as Christopher theorized. Christopher brought up her incident in Portland on the ferry ride home the previous night. She knew it was a possibility, but she had his name searched last month. He was in Atlanta working on assignment and was supposed to be heading to Brazil this month. Ana knew that if she asked Luke or Christopher to search where he was, they would be all over her wondering why. Chris would know why, but Ana didn't really think it was a possibility he was the one doing all this. She grew up with the boy, he had been another brother in some ways.

"Ana, we're all here. Can we get this show on the road?" Ana looked up to see Luke and the chief and the detectives entering the office together. She hadn't heard the door open. Ana shook her head as she nodded to Luke before picking up her mug and taking another sip of her coffee and moving to the seat at the head of the table.

The fire chief was the first to talk, introducing himself as Nelson Jeffries. "Bainbridge Fire has been over the whole house. We found two gas cans at the back of the house. General gasoline. The back door had been pried open. Gas was poured in a line from the back door to the front door and into each room. The bedroom was soaked through. Gasoline was splashed on the walls, and the bed had been soaked. We turned the gasoline cans over to the Seattle PD this morning."

The chief sat down, and a detective stood next to him. "Mitchell South, Seattle PD. We got the gas cans this morning. There was only one good partial print, and it won't hold up in court. The match was only five points, but it's the same as the photos you received. We still have no id on who the prints belong to. No leads have come into the tip line about the shooter, but we believe that we can connect everything but the drugging incident at this point." The second detective started to pass out copies of a photo as Detective South continued to speak. "Friday's incident at Escala helped with linking the shooting. The perpetrator entered the building through the service entrance disguised as a cable technician. He gained entrance into the apartment through the back elevator. Once he was inside, he left prints in almost all of the rooms. We found a glass in the kitchen and have DNA running on it. Your housekeeper," the detective paused to look at his notes, "Gail Jones, indicated that there had been no dishes left out on the counters after you left for the party at SIP. The paint used was generic paint found at any hardware or home improvement store. We are currently following up with the ones in the vicinity to see if anyone matching the description of the shooter might have been in. The video of the lobby of Escala shows a man exiting the building approximately fifteen minutes before your entrance Ms. Steele. He was dressed exactly like the description of the shooter. Furthermore, we found an atm a few blocks from where the shooting took place. We were able to pull video from where it was being used at the time of the shooting. The suspect is wearing the same hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap as what you see in the photo from Escala's lobby."

The second detective stood then and looked at Ana like he could see through her to her very soul. "Detective Adams, ma'am. I know this hasn't been easy for you, but we need to know if you have any idea who this could be. I've put in a request to the FBI to have some of their profilers take a look at the case. My experience shows that the suspect is going to get bolder the longer it takes to find him. We've theorized that the shooting was more likely a miscalculation. It was likely that he was trying to just scare you at that point. Everything since then has been escalating in progression. Evidence shows the car accident was no accident. The brake line was sliced so that it wouldn't be an immediate fail. It would take a few blocks for the brake fluid to drain and then the brakes would fail. Anyone can Google the best way to achieve such a feat now. We searched the car, and while we found no prints underneath, there was a clear print on the back driver wheel well. It was a match to all the others. Whoever this is knows his prints aren't in any system. It's almost like he wants to get caught. One of the men back at the station wants to run everything through the national systems, but we need to get the okay from the FBI to expand our searches outside Washington State. Right now we are at a standstill until we get identification."

Christian sat back listening to everything the local authorities were telling him. He knew that Logan wouldn't give them permission. Seattle PD would be pissed to learn that there was an undercover investigation going on in their jurisdiction without their knowledge. He wasn't worried about that getting out though. No, Christian was concerned about what Ana's reaction would be when she learned that this guy had been after her for years and used all the women before her as practice. Christian knew that everything the Papz had done previously would look like child's play compared to what he would do to Ana. The Papz has spent years perfecting his technique, and he was enraged about something. Most likely it was rejection that was pushing him over the edge.

Christian just needed a few more days. He would tell Ana everything and convince her that if she would just tell him who raped her in Portland, he could solve the case. Christian knew in his gut it was the same man. He just needed to convince Ana to tell him the man's name. He could turn it over to Logan, and his team and Christian could focus on sticking to Ana's side and keeping her safe.

"What of Jack Hyde?" Ana's voice brought Christian out of his internal musings. He was wondering where Hyde was himself.

"Jack Hyde is being held without bond at the moment. He was arraigned this morning for aggravated sexual assault. Your case against him will likely be plead down to a misdemeanor though. It's the nature of the business. However, this morning six women walked into the station to file charges against him. Turns out Hyde has been harassing and assaulting his assistants for years. With the new charges pending, he's not going anywhere. If he's released for some reason, you'll be notified." Detective Adams looked sympathetic as Ana nodded her head in understanding. She didn't expect much to come from her pressing charges. He just groped her and said a few nasty words. It was the women she'd managed to convince to go to the police that would take care of Hyde for good. Ana knew she would need to contact Carrick Grey. He was supposed to be helping the three women that Ana personally spoke too. She would need to know who the other women were and offer her assistance to them like she did the others.

Ana quickly called an end to the meeting retreating to her office for some solitude. Ana felt the need to drown out everything and reading contracts would distract her enough.

* * *

"Ana, Luke wants to show us something." Ana was twenty pages deep into the purchasing contracts for an app developer's company when Chris's voice drew her attention.

"What is it now?" Ana was weary. Luke brought nothing but bad news as of late. The men entered her office taking the chairs in front of her desk simultaneously.

"Luke said he wanted to show us something. He held it back from the police for some reason." Christian was suspicious of Luke and his motives, but he would hold judgment back until Luke revealed his cards.

"This came in this morning. I was going to pull it out during the meeting but didn't want to blindside you in there. After hearing the fire chief tell us that they think it was the same guy as all the other shit, well, I didn't need to hand this shit all over." Luke leaned toward Ana's desk handing her an envelope much like the one she got that started all of this. Opening the envelope, Ana pulled out more photos and a handwritten letter. The letter wasn't addressed to her, however.

 _To my proxy,_

 _Have you enjoyed yourself? I hope so, she's not that great though is she? Just laying there like a dead fish. One would think she was drugged with the way she doesn't move under you. Has she mentioned me? Do you know that you're living in my shadow? No worries, I'll have her again soon. Ana needs a reminder that real life isn't a fairytale. I've tried to do that the last few weeks, but she doesn't seem to get it. She will soon. Tell her I'm waiting for her._

The letter wasn't signed, but there were pictures included. Ana and Chris walking the beach behind her house, entering the drug store on Saturday, Christian kissing Ana soundly as they had been watching the waves on Sunday morning. Then there was a picture taken from outside of Ana's bedroom window Saturday night. Ana was atop Christian in the throes of passion, her hair trailing behind her and grazing the tops of his thighs. The moment had been intimate, and Christian burned with rage seeing it. He hated that anyone saw her that way. Ana was his, and no one should see her so passionately. Damn it, she had to know who it was.

"Ana, you have to tell me who this is. This is obviously someone you know. What about the guy you were talking about in Bainbridge? It might be him." Christian was standing pointing at the pictures and the letter he had thrown on top of her desk. "Someone is after you, and we need every lead we can get. This fucker isn't going to stop until he gets his slimy hands on you and I'll be damned if I let that happen. Tell me who it is!" This time Christian slammed his fist into the desk as he looked at the woman that had stolen his heart. He was desperate to find the cock sucker that dared to look at his Ana. Christian was desperate to keep him from getting to Ana.

"I can't tell you anything else. The guy travels all the time. I had him looked into last month. He was in another state and headed out of the country after that. It's not him." Ana kept her eyes downcast. She hated that Luke saw those photos. If the ones on the beach had been taken by anyone else, Ana would frame them. They reminded her of the photos Jose took when they were in high school. He was in Brazil. He had to be. Jose couldn't be the one doing this. It's been five years, and she promised to not press charges. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Christian looked at Ana knowing she was holding something back beside the name of her assailant. She still didn't fully trust him and that hurt.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that has been reviewing the chapters. I appreciate the words of encouragement and want you to know that I am still on track to complete this story before Sunday afternoon. Today's chapters won't be posted back to back like they normally are. They will be spaced out throughout the day, but there are three of them today.**

 **Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. Find me under Jenalynn Roberts. All you need to do is click the like button. Share the promo post and comment and you could win an autographed copy. Still in need of advance readers too. Only a few have signed up and I've slots open for up to fifty. Review copies will be emailed on August 5** **th** **.**

 **I don't own FsoG's characters but this plot is wholly mine. Also, this is a rough draft copy of what I will publish. I wrote this as an original and as I get ready to post a chapter, I change the names and few details that I need to. I'm not looking the tiniest grammar mistake yet. That's what next week is for.**

 **Thanks and Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 24**

"Christopher, I don't know what you want me to tell you." Ana sighed not wanting to fight once more about this trip. "I have a business to run. This deal is important to the profits for the next quarter. If I don't complete this purchase, the factory is going to be shut down, and nearly five hundred people will be without a job next month."

Christian scrubbed his face with both hands as he sat in the chair in front of Ana's desk. They had been arguing about the trip to Portland since Hannah requested she go the day before. He desperately wanted to demand she not leave town but held his tongue knowing that would get him nowhere but his own bed once more.

Ana was frustrated with herself. She knew the man in front of her cared for her personally, not just as a bodyguard. However, she had work to do. When Chris and Luke tried to command her to stay in Seattle, Ana had put her foot down. She was the boss, not them. Ana had to make it known she was the one signing their paychecks and if they didn't like the job they were doing, they could hit the door. Christopher and Ana argued the whole way home yesterday, in the car, in the elevator, as they entered the penthouse. Ana got so fed up, she went straight to her home office and worked straight through dinner. When Chris tried to make her see reason once more, she sent him to his bed. Ana was determined to make sure the men in her life knew she was in control no matter how close her relationships with them were. Friend, lover, employee, it didn't matter. Ana made her own decisions, not them.

"Why can't you see reason, woman? We can't control security in the hotel if you are planning to stay overnight. I don't know the layout of the buildings we're going to be visiting and what is your plan for a car and driver while you are there?" Christian didn't know how to make this woman see reason. When she came out of her room that morning, dressed like sex on legs in her mulberry sheath dress, Christian had to bite back a moan. Ana hadn't spoken to him since they walked into the penthouse the night before, not even saying goodnight. She had greeted him at the breakfast bar where Gail was serving Colorado omelets and whole wheat toast with a kiss to the cheek and inquired if his overnight bag was packed.

"Ryan is already on his way to Portland. By the time the chopper lands on the hotel rooftop, he will be waiting downstairs for us. Sawyer is sending Matthews with us. He seemed agitated and distracted this morning though. I'm not sure what is going on, but something is off with him. Frankly, I think I will be safer in Portland than here in Seattle. We're leaving from the roof here and landing on the roof at the hotel. How on earth do you expect this guy to follow us?" Ana was tired of trying to justify the way she did business to these men. If she said she was going out of town to finalize and sign paperwork for a deal, she'd damn well do it. No man would stop her from doing it.

"You have an answer for everything don't you?" Christian couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. The woman before him infuriated him to no end, but it only made him love her more. Christian hated being without her last night. It would only be a matter of time before she knew the truth and he wanted every minute he could get with her before she kicked his ass to the curb. "Very well Miss Steele. I'll be ready when you are."

Ana was looking over a set of files she wanted to take with her to Portland when Andrea buzzed to let her know that the helicopter had landed on the roof. "If you're done arguing with me, let's get this done. The sooner we finish at the factory for the day, the sooner we can get back to the hotel. Matthews is going to be across the hall, but we'll have the room to ourselves and no Luke for you to sneak passed."

Christian shook his head at the tone Ana's voice took as she spoke to him. She was killing him today. When he packed his bag last night, Christian made sure he didn't forget the condoms. He knew she could very well put him in a separate room, but one could never lose hope though.

* * *

"Come on, let's get some lunch, Tate." Ana and Chris spent the last two hours at the management office of the factory she was in talks to purchase. Ana noticed Christopher never strayed more than a few feet from her as she toured the floors and talked with the supervisors of each department. Hannah had picked a good company. The computer chips they were manufacturing were in line with some of the parts coming into the US from overseas. The current owners couldn't keep up with the production cost with profits cut due to overseas imports. Ana was buying the company to reduce costs for own electronic endeavors.

Christian helped Ana into the waiting SUV after a short walk to the outside of the building. The management office was housed in a nondescript brick building in the heart of downtown Portland. "Ryan take us to Harborside please." Ana wanted to show Chris her favorite place to eat when she came to Portland. "I love this place. It's my favorite when I have to come down here. I usually try to plan my day so that I can get here before noon for lunch. The cedar salmon is amazing but if you want a steak get the ribeye with the truffle butter."

The ride to the restaurant was quiet as Christian took in the neighborhoods around them. He wanted to be aware of his surroundings as much as possible. No matter how safe Ana thought she was, Christian wasn't convinced that they would leave Portland unscathed.

Arriving at the restaurant, Ana was happy to be seated quickly. The hostess was efficient in taking their drink order while they waited for the waiter to arrive. When the couple ordered, Ana made sure to suggest the red pepper potatoes to Christopher. "I swear I've taken extra plates of those potatoes home to give to Gail, but she has yet to make them the same. They are the most amazing potatoes you'll ever eat."

Christian sat next to Ana, sipping his wine, stunned by her beauty and intellect. They spent the hour talking about the places they had traveled over the course of their work. "I think of all the places I've traveled, New York City is my favorite place to go. There is always something new to do or see, some new place to discover. I almost never eat at the same place twice. Kate hates my love for greasy diners when we're there. She would rather spend her evening at Saks shopping before dinner at the newest Michelin star restaurant followed by drinks at the hottest club. Me, I want to do my work, see a play or a musical. Sometimes I'll make a visit to the Met. However, my favorite place in New York City is the library. You know the one where Sarah Jessica Parker was supposed to get married in the Sex and the City Movie. I can always find a new book to read and a quiet corner to be alone. I'm not as easily recognized in New York, so unless I'm attending an event, the press mostly leave me alone." Ana took a final sip of her wine before placing her empty goblet down and looking at Christopher. "What about you? Tell me the most favorite place you've traveled to while working."

Endeavoring to be as honest as possible with Ana, Christian took a deep breath before answering. "In terms of where I was happiest to entertain myself after work, Miami. I like the beach there, and there was one time I managed to find a few men that I was working with at the same time and we rented a boat for a day and went deep sea fishing. I actually caught a small shark about twenty pounds. That was fun. I tried visiting the beach once when I was in LA, it wasn't the same. I want to say though," Christian paused not sure how to put in words his gratitude for the light she's brought into his life. "I need you to understand something Ana. I usually never get involved with the job on a personal level. After years in the military, you learn how to separate and compartmentalize the things going on around you. Forming attachments usually leads to horrible things happening. What I feel for you, I fought it for a long time. My attraction to you was immediate, but I knew I needed to keep a clear and level head to get the job done properly. I hate the helplessness I feel each time I turn around, and something new has happened. I hate that I wasn't there for your accident. I hate that I wasn't there to stop Hyde. I hate that I didn't stop you from drinking the champagne. I feel like the progression of our relationship is the reason your oasis was burned. Even with all that, I am elated to have you in my life, for however long I have you. I care deeply for you Ana, and I want you to know that no matter what happens next, my feelings for you have always been genuine."

Christian felt like a wuss, fighting back the tears threatening to spill down his face. He loved this woman with every fiber of his being, and he wanted to tell her so but stopped for fear of what she might think after she learned the truth. "Come on babe, let's get out of here and take a short walk before we need to be at the factory at two."

Ana was quick to ask for the check and pay before Christian could argue. "It's a business expense anyway." Soon the couple was on the sidewalk, shadowed by Matthews as they walked down the block enjoying the warm sunny air.

Ten minutes later, Ana and Christian entered a small park next to the water. "It's beautiful out today." Ana loved watching the water. It was one of the reason's she had bought the Bainbridge property. She stood next to a railing along the sidewalk as she leaned over to look out across the water.

"Not as beautiful as you." Christian tucked a loose tendril behind Ana's ear as he moved behind her, resting his hands on his hips. "There is something very soothing about water. I've always loved watching the ripples as the boats moved across the lakes. It was my favorite thing growing up. When things got to be too much, I would retreat to the back of my parents' property and hide out on the back side of the boathouse so that I could watch the water." Grace always knew where Christian was hiding out at, but she never ventured to that side of the building to call him inside. She would stand on the dock, where Christian would be able to see her and talk to herself. Grace made sure Christian knew she loved him and would have a plate of food ready for him when he was hungry.

Ana smiled shyly at Chris before suggesting they leave. "We should head back. Matthews will likely call the warden soon and report our inappropriate behavior." Ana knew Luke disapproved of her relationship with Christian. He had threatened to call her parents over the matter, but Ana was able to shut him up when she told him about their visit the previous weekend.

Ana and Christian only made it a few feet after turning around before she stopped in her tracks. Ana gasped in horror as recognition hit her. The man standing in front of her was supposed to be in another country. He wasn't supposed to be anywhere near her. Jose Rodriguez was supposed to stay far far away from her. "Well if it isn't little Annie Steele. Long time no see."

Christian noticed Ana's hard stance immediately and started to assess the man in front of him as a potential threat. The young man couldn't be any older than Ana was with long dark hair that grazed a few inches passed his shoulders. The man was significantly shorter than Christian however, closer to 5 foot 6 inches he would guess and maybe only 180 pounds. Christian didn't note much muscle on the man, though his broad shoulders balanced out his thick and stocky middle.

The man stood tall, trying to size up Christian the moment he and Ana had turned around. He wasn't blind to the MIB reject that was trailing the couple, but he needed to scare her just a little bit more. If Ana was comfortable enough to leave the state, he hadn't done his job in instilling the fear he required from his targets. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Annie?" The man shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels, seemingly calm when instead his insides were on fire hating the way the man touched his Anastasia.

"Christopher Tate, Jose Rodriguez Jr. Jose, Chris. Chris is my boyfriend and Jose, and I grew up together. Our fathers were best friends." Ana wanted as far away from Jose as possible. Five years. It was almost five years to the date since she had last seen him outside the hospital.

"Come now Anastasia, we were more than that. You make it sound like we were only friends because of our fathers." Ana cringed at the implications Jose's words brought.

"We weren't even friends Jose. You were like the annoying little brother that tagged along and didn't know when he wasn't really wanted. Zack was your friend, I was just there because I wanted to be with my brother. I've not seen you in years." Ana felt Chris's grip on her hand tighten and she knew he had to realize who Jose was to her truly. "I'm running late for a meeting, so we have to be going. Goodbye Jose."

Ana kept a grip on Chris's hand as Jose stepped to the side to let the two walk passed him. She wanted to be anywhere but Portland suddenly and wanted to know how Jose found her or if it was just an unfortunate coincidence. "Don't worry Ana. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon enough. We can catch up then."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: So, there was supposed to be more to this chapter. It was supposed to end with the start of the double date, but I felt I needed to add more background on Ana's relationship with Jose. So, the chapter was split. I've tried to keep each chapter between the 2k-2.5k word mark. If I hadn't split it, the chapter would have ended closer to 5k words.**

 **That means that tomorrow is the entire double date and all of the fireworks that go along with the brothers' reunion.**

 **Thank you all for hanging in with me.**

 **I don't own FSoG's characters, but this plot is entirely my own.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 25**

"Christopher, I need you to calm down. I can't function like this. I need to call Hannah and tell her that the details in the contracts were good to go. I don't need to tour the factory today. I want to get back on that bird and get back to Seattle just as fast as you do. But you have to calm down so we can do what we need to do. Baby, breathe with me." Ana was in as much of a panic as Chris was. Seeing Jose was alarming, she had expected him to be in Brazil. She hadn't seen Jose in five years. Ana knew she needed to tell Christopher the rest of the story. The real reason she didn't turn him in after she woke up the morning after her graduation. "Let's get back to the hotel. I'm texting Luke and Hannah now."

Christian maintained his death grip on Ana's hand in the back of the SUV as they sped toward the hotel. He wanted her inside the suite and secured until they could get the pilot back and get back to Seattle. "How long will it take for the pilot to return?" Maybe it would be faster to drive back.

"Luke is making a call. He'll let me know if it will be faster to drive back or if the pilot is still in the area." Ana tried to calm herself. She needed to get through the this, and she needed to do it without the tears. If she started crying and Christopher showed her any kind of care toward her, she would admit she was in love with him, and this was not the time to say those words for the first time. She refused to let Jose's cloud of doom destroy what should be a perfect moment shared between lovers. "I know you have questions Chris and I promise to answer every one of them. I was sticking my head in the sand. I didn't want to think that someone could really want to hurt me like those women in the photographs, let alone someone I've known practically my entire life. I know Luke said he sent them to someone at the FBI, but I've not heard anything else."

Christian needed to get a hold of himself. This was the reason he wasn't supposed to get attached on these assignments. It's also why he'll hand in his resignation to the FBI if necessary. Pulling his phone out, Christian quickly composed a message to Cable, Logan, and Taylor to find everything they could on Jose Rodriguez Jr. It would take a few days to sift through phone and travel records, social media posts, bank statements. He would need to get Ana to agree to release the Portland file so they can compare. If they could just get a print from Jose to verify. The team would need to find where his central location is and get a warrant.

"Everything, Anastasia. I want to know it all the minute we walk into that Hotel room. I can't keep you safe if you don't tell me everything." Christian was doing his best to contain the raging beast inside. He needed to protect Ana, he needed to claim her. That little creep acted like he had a claim on Ana. That part about seeing her again. Christian needed to get someone to Portland to find him and tail him. Taylor and Logan had better do what they can. This is the part Christian hated about being undercover. He would have to sit by Ana's side while they did the grunt work. If it didn't mean leaving Anastasia's side, Christian would gladly trade Logan spots at this point in the case. Christian wanted to sink his teeth into the data that would pile up.

* * *

"My dad and Jose's dad were friends when they were in the Army. It was luck that they were both from Washington and when Jose senior left the service, he moved to into the neighborhood down the road from dad and I." Ana sat on the bed not looking at Christopher. She had spent years avoiding all things Jose Jr. "Jose was a tag-a-long growing up. Zack was friendly enough with him, let him hang with us when we would walk to the park or decided to play in the street with the baseballs. I never like Jose. He would look at me strangely, and when we were in high school, he told people he was my boyfriend. It was embarrassing because I was trying to focus on my school work for scholarships and I was being teased about dating the school creep."

Christian sat patiently next to Ana, holding her hand in his lap. He knew she was struggling. "Just tell me, Ana. I need to know everything. We have to tell the police why they need to look for Jose."

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Ana looked to Christopher staring into his eyes. She saw empathy and love there and something much more profound. Chris looked at Ana like he could see her soul. "Jose followed me to college. He would pop up in my dorm, outside my classes, always following me around. Somehow he managed to convince Kate we were best friends since grade school. I would come home from the library and find him sitting on our couch while Kate was in our room. One time I found him in my room going through my closet. He carried a camera everywhere with him and was always taking pictures. Zack liked Jose for the most part, but I think that when Zack left, Jose clung to me more. Our senior I started finding letters in my room professing love to me. For a while, I thought they were from Kate's brother. Yet, it was Jose that brought me my last drink at the graduation party my friends were throwing. I had just completed a verbal deal to buy the first company that made Steele Holding what it is."

Ana couldn't hold the tears any longer as she looked at Christopher. This man was sitting here with her, knowing what the terrible thing she had to talk about was. He sat there comforting her, but she could see the turmoil raging within in his eyes. "I wanted to finally be the college student that I never was. I didn't drink, ever, so I was a lightweight. I remember dancing with a guy I knew from the English Lit program. I'd decided to a break to go outside and get some fresh air. Jose must have followed me out. He tried to kiss me, and when I rebuked him, he acted like it was no big deal and gave me a cup with some kind of spiked punch. I can remember walking back inside and looking for Kate, but the next thing I remember was waking up in my bed naked. I knew what happened immediately. I dressed in a t-shirt and sweats, grabbed my clothes from the night before and went straight to the hospital. I was going to let the officer file the charges. I told him everything, he even asked to come to my apartment and pick up the letters I had gotten. I told him I would go home and get them and take them to the station and meet him there."

Ana's tears were streaming down her face as she tried to withhold the sob aching to escape. Her heart was pounding in her chest causing a ringing in her ears. "When I got to my car, Jose was standing there waiting for me. He gave me an envelope with pictures he had taken of me. Some were from the night before, others he had taken after breaking into my apartment on several occasions." Ana released a hiccup as the sobs started. "H.. … He had pictures of me in the shower from when I was in high school. I was a minor, and he threatened to give them to Kate's brother if I went to the cops." Another sob escaped as Ana tried to get the words out that she needed. "Jose told me that the minute he was arrested, he would use his one phone call to call Ethan and have him release everything including a video he claimed to have. He would be in custody, and everything would be out there before anyone could stop it. Everything I worked so hard for would have been for nothing."

Christian pulled Ana into his lap, wrapping his arms around her as he stroked her hair and gently rocked her. Christian did his best to comfort Ana. He hated seeing her this way, and her tears made him want to tear apart the bastards limb by limb for doing this to her. "Whatever Ethan has, I'll make some calls. We'll take it all from him, wherever he's hiding it. We'll find it."

"That's just it Chris, I know where Ethan keeps the photos and video." Ana tried to wipe her face with the back of her hand, feeling silly for crying the way she did. "Every year on the anniversary of my graduation, Ethan mails me a copy of an article about the big time entrepreneur that worked her way through high school as teenage a sex slave. He sends me one photo, a different one each year. It's my reminder to keep my mouth shut. I kept everything in Portland sealed because I couldn't have a story like that get out. All the PR in the world would not bring me back from that. My company would tank and all the people I employee would lose their jobs. They count on me to keep it all going. 20,000 people depend on me to keep the steady paychecks coming and the health insurance in good standing."

"As soon as we're in Seattle, we're going to sit down with Sawyer. Tell him everything. I know that you're shamed by what happened, but baby you're a victim." Christian hooked a finger under Ana's chin tilting her head up and forcing her to look at him. "I know you're strong, you're the strongest woman I know. You will survive this. This will not rule you much longer. I'm sure it's Jose, we just need to gather the evidence, and until then I'm not leaving your side."

"Good, I don't want you to leave my side either. I love having you here." Ana wrapped her arms around Chris once more, enjoying the safe and protected feeling that washed over her as he held her. There was more though, for the first time in Ana's life she felt truly cherished. She could spend her life in his arms and never be unhappy again.

Christian rested his chin on top of Ana's head as he held her, arms wrapped tight around her small frame. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Ana. He had finally found a woman to love, and he couldn't imagine a life without her. Christian knew that there was no more undercover work in his future, no more cross country traveling. He would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.

In the background of the room, a phone could be heard be ringing. Ana groaned when she recognized the tone. "Ana, whose ringtone is that?" Ana smiled as she heard Rihanna singing about having her money.

"It's my mother. If she's calling it means that my lawyer denied a demand for money again."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Slightly longer chapter than normal. Thank you for sticking with me.**

 **Remember to find Jenalynn Roberts on facebook for publishing updates. Youcan find the link to sign up as an advanced reader there.**

 **I don't own FSoG's characters, but this plot is all mine.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 26**

"So, did you really have the money sent to your mother?" Christian couldn't believe his ears Tuesday when Ana agreed to send money to Carla Adams. Ana spent the remaining time they had waiting for the pilot to return talking about her relationship with her mother.

"Of course I did. I made her wait a few days for it though. Carla Mae cares only for herself. She always has. I've told you how she left when I was a little girl and didn't return until after I graduated high school. That's when we found out I inherited all that money from her aunt. She wanted her cut." Ana lifted her glass of water from the table to take a drink before she continued. Sitting in the middle of the restaurant waiting for her best friend and her boyfriend to show up was not the best place to be discussing this though. "She calls me every six months or so. Usually when there is a new man in her life, or when the man cuts up her credit card. This time her husband was fired from his business firm for failing to bring me in on whatever it was Bob promised them. Yes, I sent the money, but only a portion of what she requested. The lawyers will take care of getting NDAs signed once more and reminding them that talking to the press will land them in civil court."

"Why don't you have her charged with extortion? I know she's your mother and all, but you can't be expected to send her money like this for the rest of your life." Christian hated to see Ana taken advantage of by anyone.

"Because she would just do a jailhouse interview with whoever put money into her commissary account. I would have to hire a PR rep just to combat every lie Carla spilled. Not worth it." Ana just shrugged her shoulders. She didn't care about the fact that Carla only wanted to talk to her about money. It was the other parts of the conversation from Tuesday that irritated her and frightened her. "I'm more worried about the fact that she spoke with Jose while he was in Atlanta. She knew he was coming to Seattle to see me instead of going to Brazil like he was supposed to do. Any updates on that front?" Thursday night arrived, and Ana was thankful to see something other than the Steele House walls or her apartment.

"The Seattle PD is doing their best. Finally agreeing to let them have the evidence from Portland will help. Contrary to popular belief though, DNA results aren't spit out in a matter of a few minutes. Portland and Seattle are working together on the case, and they should have a warrant in the next few days for Ethan. Until they have something that can positively be identified as Jose's the best bet is to get Ethan first and have him roll over on Jose about Portland." Christian spent the afternoon trying to track down his FBI counterparts to get an update or permission to tell Ana his identity now, but it had been fruitless. Logan was brushing him off, Taylor was in the air on his way to Seattle. Cable was still playing shadow and not in the thick of the investigation. "We'll know something soon."

"I hope so. I do not want to spend the weekend hiding out at Escala. If they don't have one of them in custody Saturday morning, I want to go stay at Dad's. I could do with the company of family." Ana hated feeling like she was being hunted. Everywhere she turned there was another shark waiting to snap at her. "There's Kate and Bob the Builder."

Ana stood to greet her friend while Christopher was distracted by a message he had just received on his phone. "Ana Banana, Kate tells me you've got her working overtime. You need to ease up on my future future-wife." Ana giggled at Elliot's label for Kate as she was lifted from the ground and spun around in Elliot's arms. She knew the blond couple would eventually land in happily ever after land.

"So, where is this beast Kate tells me about?" Elliot placed Ana back on the ground as she moved back toward the man sitting at the table next to them.

"Christopher Tate, meet Bob the Builder." Christian put his phone back into his pocket, not paying attention to Kate and her boyfriend until he stood. He looked up finally, pushing his hand out when recognition hit the faces of both men.

Christian was swearing under his breath wondering who left this out of their report. "What the fuck Banana? I'm not sure what this jackass's been telling you, but his name is Christian Grey, not whatever the fuck that was you just told me." Elliot's face was turning red as he looked at the man in front of him. For years he blamed all his life's problems on Christian Grey. It was the last family dinner where Christian walked out that he finally sought treatment for his own issues. "Four years Christian. You show up for one dinner and tell everyone that you're going to work for the FBI. You spend an hour telling our parents how well you're doing after everything that happened as kids and then you tell them you're not coming back."

Christian knew this looked bad. He needed to get Ana out of here and explain to her. Elliot was looking like he was spoiling for a fight and Christian didn't want that happening here in public like this. It would only embarrass Ana further.

"Chris, what's happening?" Ana watches the two men squaring off for a duel. Her voice just above a whisper as she looked at the man that she had fallen in love with. "Is what he said true? Are you not Christopher Tate?" Ana could feel the tears stinging her eyes as she looked at the man she wanted to share her life with.

"Ana, I…" Christian was at a loss. He didn't want to do this hear. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Christian looked toward his brother seeing the anger linger there.

Kate stood back watching everything unfold. She liked Christopher, he couldn't the be the self-absorbed ass Elliot described his brother as. "Steele, you okay?"

Ana shook her head in the negative. The man she had fallen in love, the man she had given every part of herself to, the man she entrusted her life to had lied to her. For what?

"Does mom even know you're in town? You keep away from all of us and don't even bother telling her you're home. Typical self-involved Christian. I've spent years trying to make myself better so that when you came home, things would be different. You don't want things different though do you? You want to go on playing the victim. Did you tell Ana about all the horrible I did to you growing up? What about the last time you were here and how you started a fight that ended with Mia needing stitches? I bet you didn't. How have you maneuvered this city without seeing any of us?" Elliot was pissed now. Mia would have wanted to see her brother. Mia was the one that made Elliot and their father see what they had been doing to Christian all his life. It was her that refused to speak to Elliot for a year until he got treatment for his drinking issues.

"I can't right now El, I've got…" Christian stopped when he heard the gasp from his right where Kate had been standing. The look of horror on her face.

"Dr. Trevelyan, I forgot your mom used another last name at the hospital. Ana, I…" Kate was at a loss for words. She knew that the ER doc that had been seeing Ana was Elliot's mother. The woman had to stand in the room with Ana and Christian each time, and she stood there pretending not to know her own son, but why?

"I'm not getting it." Ana was perplexed. What did her ER doctor have to do with this?

"Grace Trevelyan-Grey is our mother." Elliot spits the words out with even more venom. Of course, his mother knew Christian was in town and told no one. What lie did Christian give her to keep her from telling everyone? Elliot has waited for his brother to show up for years so that he could finally make amends and move on in his sobriety.

"I… I can't do this here. I don't know you. I have to go." Ana grabbed her purse and dashed for the elevator. Dialing Ryan's number, she made sure he would be at the door waiting for her. Ana couldn't face this right now. Christopher Tate was nothing more than a lie. All of it was a lie; nothing but a fairytale. Why? Why would he do this? By the time Ana was settled in the back of the car, she felt resigned. She didn't need further proof that she was never meant to have her happily ever after. Whatever his reasons were, Christopher Tate was another in a long line of people that just wanted something from her.

* * *

Christian stood at the table watching his brother waiting to see what he would do. "Elliot, whatever you're thinking, stop. Please. Mom knew, but she couldn't say anything. I'm supposed to be undercover. I need you to not say anything. Hopefully, this will all end soon, and we can talk." Christian took a deep breath, feeling a small amount of the weight on his shoulders lift a bit. "I need to talk to Ana. I promise we can talk next week."

Christian started for the elevators hoping he hadn't missed Ana. "Hey Christian!" He stopped when he heard his brother shout his name, turning to look at the man that had tormented him all his life, Christian never saw the punch coming until the fist connected with his eye. "I like Ana, and that's for whatever the hell you've done."

Christian nodded. It was the least he deserved for the lie. Twelve hours was all he had needed, and then he was going to tell Ana everything. Christian needed to call Cable and get him to pick him up.

* * *

Ana was pacing. For the last ten minutes, she went through everything wondering how much of it was a lie. Was Elliot the brother Chris had told her about? Ana couldn't reconcile Elliot with the evil kid Christopher described. Christian. His name was Christian Grey. Oh! Ana's hand came to her mouth as she realized everything. Carrick Grey was his father, Mia Grey was his little sister. Was he really at the range when she was meeting with Mia? Or was he off with some secret wife or something. Ana's mind was a dark place as she tried to think of all the reasons why he would need to lie about his identity. Was the background check they received even real? Was everything a lie? Did he have a secret family? Did he tell his wife and kids that Daddy had to take a business trip and then proceed to find wife number two? Did he have a family in every town he's worked in? Oh, Oh, no. It can't be true. He didn't try and get her pregnant on purpose, did he?

"Whatever it is you're thinking stop. Please. You have to believe me, baby. I only lied about my real name." Ana never heard the elevator ding with his arrival, and she wanted to melt into his embrace the minute his arms came around her, pressing her back to his front. "Can I please explain?"

Ana took a shuddering breath as she pulled from his embrace. She refused to look at him. Walking away from the windows to the couch, Ana reached for the bottle of wine she had opened the second she arrived home. Pouring a glass, Ana took a large gulp before she settled against the cushions of the couch. "Why?" It was the only word she could form. Why was the question to everything now?

Christian settled on the floor in front of Ana, crouched down clutching the hand that wasn't holding her wine glass. "Ana, baby, I don't even know where to begin."

"How about you start with the why. Why did you come here and lie to me about who you were? Do you have any idea the scenarios going through my head? The secret families I've conjured around the country, or the idea that you're Jose's inside man this whole time. I mean how did he find me in Bainbridge if you didn't tell him?" Ana was getting hysterical. She didn't believe she could listen to another lie. "I need to know it all. Now." Ana finally looked up at Christian, yes Christian. Christopher Tate didn't exist.

Christian was at a loss. He never imagined that those were the reason she would come up with for his lie. "The photos you received before you were shot. I came because of those pictures and one other I found while investigating the death of one of those women."

"Investigating." And let the words roll over her tongue, testing it out. She heard Elliot say FBI. Is that why he's here?

"Yes, my boss, Jason Taylor got copies of everything from Luke and he sent me here to see if the same guy after you is the one we've… I've been looking for over the last three years." Christian hated this. "Ana, I need you to understand. The only thing I've lied about is my name. The FBI sent me in undercover hoping to get answers and clues to a killer we've been tracking for years without sending the public into a panic. The Papz spends weeks stalking a woman, those women in the photos, before he abducts them and does unspeakable things to them. The last victim was found in Atlanta just a few days before you were shot. There was a picture of you found under her body. It was the first time we had a clue as to who he was coming after next. I've been doing my best to try and find the connection. Trying to keep you safe. Yes I lied about my name, but everything I've told you about myself was the truth. I was only ordered to stay close and get you to talk about your past in hopes of finding a suspect. To keep you safe while I did it." Christian felt the tears slip down his face as he watched her cry. "Falling in love with you wasn't part of the plan. But it happened. I fell in love with you, and everything we shared in Bainbridge was real. You have to believe me, Ana. I love you, and I only want to protect you. Baby, I love you." Christian took the glass from Ana and sat it on the table behind him so he could hold both of her hands against his chest. "I love you. Falling in love you was not the plan. It's actually kind of a rule. No falling while undercover. I fought the feelings you brought out in me tooth and nail. I didn't want you to think it was all part of an assignment. That I had been ordered to seduce you to get the information I needed."

"Isn't that what happened though? You were ordered to do what was necessary to get the id of a suspect. What happens now that you have it? I am assuming Jose is who you were looking for." Ana took a deep breath trying to quell the panic that was rising within her.

"The FBI doesn't work on assumptions. We need something concrete. Till then we wait. You understand what I had to do don't you baby. You know I love you, right?" Christian refused to give up without a fight. He needed to hold hope, Anastasia Steele was his future, and he would do whatever was necessary to protect her.

Ana peered into his stone gray eyes looking for the man she fell in love with. Christian seemed so hopeful. Leaning forward, Ana pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, pouring all her love into this one action as she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. Resting her forehead on his, Ana closed her eyes refusing to see his face as she whispered her next words. Ana felt Christian's lips against her forehead when the tears started another treck down her cheeks. "I love Christopher Tate, and you're not him. You need to leave."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Ever look at your calendar and think, Hooray, I'm going to be able to sit and do exactly what I need to this weekend. You think to yourself that it is amazing to not have any plans for a change. No baseball, no weddings, no parties or family events. You can just sit with the computer or kindle, update your Netflix watch list. Then you wake up Saturday and the kids and husband take charge and suddenly you're on a mission for a particular backpack. Your son decided he must purchase new baseball pants this weekend, even though season doesn't start again for over a month. Then you remember that your daughter has tickets to her first rock concert and needs the perfect outfit, even though she's eleven. You spend four hours helping her create a rock goddess edgy look that makes her look older than she is, but is thankfully not even close to slutty.**

 **Sunday dawns with the sounds of the mower outside your bedroom window at seven am and your husband informs you that you need to help clean the porches and straighten part of the shed. Suddenly you're fixing dinner. Mondays are always a difficult day, but a day of chores means a day of seizing muscles and stiff joints. Then Tuesday hits and you have a day of back to school appointments to attend for the kids. Where in all of that are you supposed to finish the last of your FFn edits to your story? I tell you where, you do it at 2 am. I'm still working through the last of it. But the epilogue will be posted tomorrow. The story will be available online until Sunday, August 5** **th** **. I will remove it just before submitting the finished original to Amazon and sending out my copies to my advanced readers. If you would like to be included in that please find Jenalynn Roberts on Facebook and fill out the form.**

 **It's dinnertime now, so there will be one more chapter tonight and tomorrow will be the remaining three chapters and epilogue. Thank you for sticking with me through this.**

 **I don't own FSoG's characters, but this is my plot.**

 **Laters**

* * *

 **Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 27**

Ana silently cried as she watched Christian walk away. She could hear him on the phone to someone telling them they needed to come and stay with her. Ana could only assume it was Luke. Deciding she was going to bed early and taking a run in the morning to clear her head before work, Ana walked upstairs to the security office to inform whoever was on duty what her plans were. She wanted to be left alone and the security codes to the apartment needed to be changed. Christian Grey would not be allowed entry once more.

"Samuels, Christopher Tate is not allowed back in the apartment. Make sure whoever is here in the morning is ready to leave at 6. I want a run in the park. Call Sawyer and tell him to change the codes immediately as well. Goodnight." Ana didn't wait for a response from the man tasked with staying in the penthouse with her for the night. She went to her room, finding it empty and feeling bereft without Christopher there with her.

Moving around the room as she undressed and readied herself for bed, Ana began an internal debate with herself. The only man she had ever loved was a lie. Christopher Tate was a figment of the FBI's imagination, and she was the fool that fell for him. Every man Ana has ever met has wanted something from her. Christopher Tate turned out to not be any different. He may not have wanted her wealth or her business. He was still there and with her because he wanted something. He could have walked into her office the day they met and introduced himself as Christian Grey. He could have told her they had a potential serial killer after her. Christian could have said he thought she was the link to finally finding the man he had spent years tracking. Instead, he inserted himself so securely into her life, and then he made her fall in love with his lie.

Was it really just a name as he suggested? Ana wondered to herself if she would have fallen in love with Christian Grey the same as she had fallen in love with Christopher Tate. Ana couldn't stop the thought that passed her lips as her sobs carried her into sleep. "Oh, Chris what have we done to us?"

* * *

Christian was pissed when he stormed into the downtown Seattle field office. The desk agent giving him a funny look when he told him he wanted to be informed immediately of Taylor's landing. Things had come to a head, and if Ana would let him stay with her, then they needed to tackle this thing together. The first step in doing so would be for Christian inform his superior that he could kiss Christian's ass. If the director hadn't been so worried about a countrywide panic over a serial killer they knew nothing about, then it was most likely that a simple interview with Ana would have resulted in obtaining the information needed to point the FBI in the direction of Jose.

Ana freely admitted that if she had felt Jose was indeed a danger outside of a little blackmail, she would have screamed his name from a rooftop. She wasn't worried about looking like a victim so much as she had been worried about the way she was perceived by the public after her graduation. With the help of Ethan, it wouldn't have taken long for the headlines to claim that Ana had been drinking heavily and was now experiencing buyers remorse. That was the image Ana had wanted to avoid. Christian knew enough about Ana's early days starting SHE and the uphill battles she fought. Seeing Jose in Portland when he should have been out of the country was sufficient for Ana to stop fighting. She spilled every detail she could then. Now there were reports and data was being gathered. Christian needed to sift through it all and fir the pieces of the case together.

Stopping at Agent Logan's desk, Christian found the cliche bottle of scotch and tumbler in the bottom drawer. Feeling the need to drown his sorrows, Christian ventured into the conference room down the hall. Christian looked at the wall behind the conference table. Each victim had a picture placed on the wall along with details of their lives leading up to their death. In the center of the wall were pictures of Ana and Jose. A copy of the small picture found under the last victim was pinned next to the current photo of Ana. The details under the photo proved that Christian had been right about her being a teenager when the photo was taken. It was Ana's senior photo from high school.

Turning to the table, Christian decided to spend his time sorting through the papers trying to connect Jose to each and every one of the victims. Jose was an avid Instagrammer. He'd posted all sorts of photos when he was on location. It was easy to connect him to the locations of three of the murders through the social media site alone. His company credit card further linked him to the area of four more murders. Christian pulled the records from the airlines and was able to find flight times for the remaining murder locations. The notes stated that they were still looking into how and when Jose arrived on the west coast.

When Christian had connected Jose to each location, he knew Jose was the Papz. There was no other option. This man was closing in on the fifth anniversary of when he attacked Ana. Jose's violence was increasing with each attack too. The last victim was mutilated post-mortem. It was the violent stabs to her torso after her death that proved his increasing anger. The paperwork was complete for all the warrants to be served tomorrow. Christian just needed the DNA work from Portland. Christian knew he couldn't be angry at Ana for being reluctant to press charges, but the samples from her evidence kit could possibly be degraded. The Portland PD was happy to turn over its entire collection box to the FBI and Seattle PD. The notes on the desk indicated that DNA results were expected to have a probable match by noon.

Christian wasn't sure how long he spent in the conference room pouring over the contents of the information his team had collected over the week. He knew it was getting late into the late night/early morning hours judging by the now empty bottle of liquor on the table beside him and the quiet of the city below him. Leaving the conference room behind, Christian moved into the lounge area of the floor and laid down on the couch. He knew that the next day wouldn't be easy. Christian would need to explain to Taylor that his cover had been blown. Then hopefully, if he weren't kicked off the case, Christian would need to lead the team to serve the warrant on Ethan Kavanaugh. Jose's location within the Seattle area was still undetermined. Christian prayed that somewhere in his plans for the next day he would be able to see Ana and talk to her more. He needed her to know that it was genuine and he would do anything to prove it to her.

Christian fell asleep with the image of Ana in his head. Thoughts of their weekend in Bainbridge bled into the look of betrayal in her eyes this night. "I love Christopher Tate" were the words that carried into his dreams.

* * *

The early morning Seattle sky was streaked with pink and purple when Ana woke on Friday morning. The alarm blaring at 6 am brought her into reality and forced Ana to abandon her dreams of the love she discovered in Bainbridge. She knew before that weekend that she had fallen in love with him, but it was difficult to admit. Ana didn't know what it was that had made her so reluctant to say it. While Ana dressed in her running gear, she thought over her conversation with Christian the day they had lunch in Portland. His words echoing in her ears as she tied her shoes. "I am elated to have you in my life, for however long I have you. I care deeply for you Ana, and I want you to know that no matter what happens next, my feelings for you have always been genuine."

Christian knew this would happen. Ana was sure of it in her very core. He knew that no matter what he did at that point that she would react the way she did. Christian had been trying to assure her then that he loved her for real. It hadn't been a ruse to get information out of her. Ana knew instinctively that she would need to talk to him at some point, but today was not that day. No, Ana needed time to sort her feeling on everything. Luke had the name of Christian's boss. She would call him first. Ana wanted to hear from someone else that Christian had not been ordered to seduce her. Ana's heart would shatter with the knowledge that their love had been a fabrication.

Shaking her head, Ana exited her room and walked to the kitchen for a bottle of water. "Miss Steele." The throat clearing behind Ana as she stood at the refrigerator caught her attention. Not even Gail was up and in the kitchen yet. "If you're ready."

Ana turned to see Ryan standing in on the opposite side of the kitchen counter. "You're my shadow for my run today?" She took in his attire, basketball shorts, and a hooded sweatshirt.

"Yes, Sawyer called me last night and ordered me to the apartment at five ready for a run. He wanted to ensure that you didn't try to sneak out early without someone with you. I'm supposed to inform you that you need to stay at a pace that will allow me to keep within a few feet of you. While I am armed under my sweatshirt, it would be difficult to get to you in the crowded areas of the running trails if you are attacked and too far ahead of me." Ana took in Ryan's stance and shook her head. She knew it was called parade rest, Zack stood in the same position often. Straight back, feet shoulder width apart and this hands resting behind his back. The formal stance didn't do Ryan any favors in putting Ana at ease. It made the usually serious man look silly in his shorts standing that way.

"I know the drill, Ryan. Christop… um, Chris made sure I knew the first week to keep at a steady pace and to not increase my speed without notifying him." Ana was aware of the protocol as Christian had called it. She usually preferred the treadmill in her gym at SHE, but sometimes she needed the fresh air to clear her head. Chris had been adamant that she set a pace and stay that way. "I'm not sure how familiar you are with the park path, but I set a pace pretty early on and stick with it till the end. The path is marked every quarter mile and is a five-mile circuit. I'll set my pace by the first half mile mark and stay there until mile four. I'll put in an extra burst for the last mile. My usual steady pace is just under eleven miles an hour. My best time is eight minutes."

Ryan spent the elevator ride trying to ensure her that she would be safe with him for the day. The car ride was silent, and Ana came to hate it. Usually, she relished in the silence, using it to find solutions to her problems, answer her emails, but the last few weeks she spent the car rides feeling Christopher's warmth next to her. Ana shook her head at her thoughts. No matter what, she thought of Christian as her Christopher. She wasn't lying that she was in love with Christopher Tate and not Christian Grey. She would need to spend time reconciling that they were the same man. She wanted to try, maybe. Ana needed to speak to his boss first.

The run was precisely what Ana needed. When she was on the trail, she focused on the sound of her feet as each step hit the pavement. Ryan was just behind Ana and to the right. She occasionally looked over her shoulder looking to see where he was along the trail. She was coming up on the four-mile marker and didn't want to leave him behind when she hastened her pace. "Get ready Ryan," Ana shouted the warning over her shoulder. There was a short tunnel up ahead, and when they came out of it and over the small hill, she would charge forward until she hit her original starting point.

"I"m ready Ana." Ryan had easily maintained Ana's pace. He wouldn't mention it to her, but she was running closer to a twelve and half minute mile pace. He was ready for her to push ahead.

Ana saw the tunnel and decided to test Ryan's agility. Just before they entered the tunnel, Ana kicked up her speed. Panting heavily, Ana pushed herself harder than she ever had. Ana knew she needed to slow down to give Ryan a chance to catch up with her but felt mischievous and would wait till they were after the curve before slowing her pace for him to catch up. A look over her shoulder as she exited the tunnel proved he was struggling to catch up. Ana continued her pace, bending around the corner when she collided with a hard body.

Steadying herself and hoping that Ryan could catch up now, Ana looked up into the face of the man she had collided with. "Hello, Anastasia."


	28. Chapter 28

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 28**

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Ana was confused when she peered into the brown eyes of the man in front of her. He looks oddly familiar, but Ana can't seem to recall where she has seen the man or what his name is.

"We've not been formally introduced. My name is Special Agent Randy Cable. I'm one of the men working with Chris on this case. I need you to come with me immediately before your shadow shows up. We have reason to believe that Ryan is working with Mr. Rodriguez." Ana was alarmed. She knew that there were other men that Chris had shadowing her, but she wasn't aware that they would ever approach her.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Ana tried to play dumb. Why would this man be here instead of Christian himself? Surely he would show up in person if he felt she was indeed in danger.

"Ma'am after the events of last night, Grey felt that it would be best if I approached you. Now we need to hurry before Ryan sees us and reports your location to Rodriguez." Ana's panic was rising. She had told no one of what transpired between herself and Christian last night. Being the upstanding guy he is, Christian would have reported his true identity being revealed. Ana knew this man had to be telling the truth.

"Where are we going?" Ana had already looked back and could see Ryan's head popping up over the crowd trying to find her. He would meet up with them in less than a minute if they didn't hurry. It made sense that he was working with Jose. How else did Jose know where Ana was before each attack? How did Jose find her in Bainbridge? How did he know they would be in Portland and where to find her?

"We need to move quickly. We've secured a safe house and need to get you there fast. You'll need to call your office and your security chief. Tell them that you're with me and won't be in today. They should tell everyone that you are working from home. I'll have to take your phone after that so Ryan can't try and track you that way." Ana and Cable moved quickly. They managed to get in the car and pull out of the parking lot before Ryan made it to the spot where Ana and Cable had been standing. Ana could see his panic rising and the cell phone lifting to his ear as he turned in circles looking for her.

Ana held her phone to her ear as she dialed Luke to tell him what was going on. She would call Andrea after that. Her schedule had been rearranged so many times in the last week. Ana hoped that with the probability of Jose being the bad guy and her trip to a safe house would mean that things could go back to normal on Monday.

"Miss Steele, if you're done with your phone calls, I'm going to need your cell phone now," Cable asked for the phone from the front seat, holding his hand out waiting for her to hand him the phone.

"Sure, can you just turn it off? I keep a lot of import…" Ana stopped mid-sentence when she witnessed Cable rolling down the window and tossing her phone out the window.

"It's the safest way. Get comfortable, we have a bit of a drive before we get to the safe house. I'm sure you'll be happy to see who is waiting for you when we get there." Ana thought of Christopher and then corrected herself again. Christian Grey. Her Christopher is Christian Grey. He told her it was all real. She would wait to ask Luke who Christian's boss was and would call that guy and talk to him. Ana knew that she could ask Cable her questions, but she didn't want any miscommunications.

* * *

"Grey!" Christian startled awake at the boom of the voice in his ear. "What are you doing sleeping beauty? You're supposed to be with Miss Steele."

Christian could feel the sunlight hitting his face as he listened to Taylor bark at him. "Someone failed to include the fact that my brother is Miss Kavanaugh's boyfriend. We were supposed to have dinner last night, and when my brother saw me, he blurted out my real name. It didn't take Kate long to connect my mother to me, and everything went downhill from there. Miss Steele kicked me out of her apartment and barred me from her properties." Christian hated admitting to his failure in his job as an undercover.

"You did it, didn't you? I told you not to get close, and you fell anyways. What the hell were you thinking Grey? Did I not teach you better? I know we're close to getting the guy, but you can't risk yourself like that when you're undercover. How many of these accidents of hers have occurred because you weren't thinking with the correct brain?" For the next ten minutes, Taylor berated Christian about the pitfalls of falling for a target during an undercover investigation. It didn't matter if the target was a suspect or vital informant, you weren't supposed to develop feelings and fall while undercover. An agent focused on the emotion of the target let his own emotions cloud his judgment. Christian knew that he allowed his affection for Ana to cloud his thinking on many occasions.

"I did. You don't have to write me up though, as soon as the Papz is in custody, I'm going to turn in my notice. I can't do this anymore. I need to be here in Seattle. I've avoided my family for fifteen years. It's time I came home and fixed my relationships with them." Christian sat thinking of the best way to approach each one and work on repairing the damage he had done at the last dinner. He would need to start with Mia and his father. Elliot had his own demons and would need to accept the role his own actions contributed to Christian's behavior toward the family. Christian wanted a relationship with his brother. It was one of the things he wanted more than anything growing up. Brothers are supposed to be best friends, and Christian desperately wanted a best friend.

"I'll talk to you more when this case is done. No matter what, you'll have to report to New York to debrief when this is over. Looking at everything you did while you were drinking, we should be able to get this done before the end of the weekend. Now let's get out of Logan's office and to the conference room. I hate that prick and he's not happy about me being here and taking over." Taylor didn't wait for Christian to say anything before leaving him sitting on the couch in Logan's office and sauntering down the hall to the conference room.

Christian made a stop in the bathroom to freshen up and splash water on his face. He would send someone to collect his belongings from Ana's later so that he could change. For now, Christian would have to remain in the suit he wore to dinner last night.

Taylor took charge the minute Christian entered the office. "All right folks. We have a suspect finally and possible corroborating evidence to the inciting incident. So far the suspect matches the profile perfectly. An hour ago we received the remaining flight records for Jose Rodriguez Jr. He arrived in Seattle approximately four hours after the last body was found. I've just been informed that we have located a hotel room under Rodriguez's name. The warrant will be waiting for us when we arrive. There is a team currently serving warrants at Kavanaugh Media and the home of Ethan Kavanaugh looking for the alleged photos from the inciting incident in Portland. Grey, give a rundown of the trouble that Miss Steele has encountered in the past few weeks and then we will look to see if we can connect the suspect to each or not." Taylor stood at the head of the table with one hand resting on the maple wood while he looked around the room at the agents that could recite the facts of the case in their sleep now. Each agent knew the details of the case inside and out after living and breathing the Papz for the last five years.

"First up, Miss Steele was shot outside a restaurant two days after the Atlanta victim was found. The day the victim was found, Miss Steele received a package of photos and a letter warning that she was next. The photos weren't just of her. The prior victims' photographs were included, and each one was in some kind of duress during their assault. Next, she was drugged at a charity dinner. A new form of liquid ecstasy was dropped into a glass of champagne and served to her. The next incident was a car accident. Seattle PD confirmed that the brake line was sliced in a way that it would take up to a mile before the brakes actually failed. The next incident was a case of groping by an employee at the launch party for a new business. The jerk is in the custody of the Seattle PD at the moment for other assaults as well. Next, we returned to Miss Steele's apartment after the party to find the place trashed. The suspect had decided to redecorate for her. Next, at the end of a trip to Bainbridge, a trip that no one was informed of other than her head of SHE security, the home she owns in Bainbridge was set on fire. Arson has been confirmed, and the most damaged was done in her bedroom where the walls had been splashed with gasoline. Upon the return to work on Monday, Miss Steele got a new packet of photos taken over the weekend at Bainbridge. On Tuesday Miss Steele was accosted by our suspect. Miss Steele confided that she had been assaulted five years ago in Portland. Last night, after someone left the name of Kate Kavanaugh's boyfriend out of the folder, I discovered that Ana's friend Bob the Builder is my brother, Elliot Grey. My true identity was revealed over cocktails last night. I have been kicked out of Miss Steele's buildings and barred entrance. I'll need someone to go get my clothes at least from her place. That brings us up to now." Christian was exhausted thinking of all that has happened over the last few weeks.

"Agent Blake, I can connect all of these. After Agent Grey's diligent work last night, I was able to work up everything but how Rodriguez knew that Miss Steele was in Bainbridge and Portland. I would suggest a mole on her security team if we hadn't cleared everyone already." Christian stared at the man and waited for him to continue. "The prints from the Portland file are a match for all the others. The DNA is still running from Portland and will be compared samples from each murder as well as the glass left on Miss Steele's kitchen counter. Rodriguez was at the charity dinner. He was there as a photographer and used his press pass for his magazine to enter. The print on Miss Steele's car is consistent with the others. We can't place the suspect at the SIP party. However, the prints at the apartment place him there. The prints on the gas can match all the others. As for the file you received on Miss Kavanaugh though, I am at a loss. I did her background myself, and Elliot Grey was included. In fact, there is a file on him as well."

Christian scrubbed his face with his hands while mulling over the implications of a cleaned file. "The files Cable delivered to me didn't include Elliot anywhere. I didn't know that Ana's personal lawyer is my father until the morning he was scheduled to meet with her at her office, and it was luck that I needed to meet here with Cable and Logan when she was due to meet with my sister Mia."

"Someone call Cable. I want to know what he knows about all this." Taylor barked an order and waited for someone to do his bidding. "Grey, if you had to guess who might be sharing information who would it be."

"Luke Sawyer would know all her movements. Ryan might have been able to aid Rodriguez, but he wasn't there when the arrangements were made for Bainbridge. Plus, Ana told me that only her parents knew the exact location of the property. The place isn't even in her name. It's owned by Claire Standish." Christian chuckled to himself. Ana uses names from Molly Ringwald's 80s movie characters as her aliases. Her Bainbridge home is owned by the stuck up bitch from The Breakfast Club.

"Director, I can't get Cable on to answer his phone. It's going straight to voicemail, and I've already pinged it trying to get a location, and it looks like it's been dropped in Joggers Park." An agent Christian had never met looked perplexed.

"Sir, Cable is usually shadowing Miss Steele and I. Yesterday afternoon he informed me that he was going to be needed here to assist with the warrants and claimed that an agent by the name of Maxwell would be taking his place for the day." Christian sat and thought of how things weren't adding up.

The agent that had tried to call Cable stood up to introduce himself. "I'm agent Maxwell. Logan told me he wanted me in the field today, but Cable called me and told me that Logan decided it would be better to not swap out agents and that Cable would be staying to watch Miss Steele."

"Sir, I have a bad feeling. You might want to call Luke Sawyer and see what he has to say about Miss Steele's activities for the day. I don't think any information will be shared with me. It's almost eleven now. I want to get these warrants served, and then we need to locate Rodriguez, the reports state he left his hotel yesterday afternoon and never returned." Christian was worried. He hated to think that something happened to Ana already because he wasn't there. Cable and Ryan should be enough to cover for her. Maybe Sawyer has glued Ana to his side now.

Keeping to himself while people around him worked, Christian sat and thought of all the good memories he and Ana created while in Bainbridge. He would rebuild the house with his own hands if she gave him a second chance. Closing his eyes, Christian could see the curve of her hip as he ghosted his lips across her porcelain skin. Christian felt his hand tingle as he remembered the way she held onto his as he thrust into her slowly, forcing her to beg him to move faster. Christian felt every kiss, every caress, and the idea that he might never feel her bare and raw like that again left him forlorn.

"We got a problem. We need to get to SHE. Sawyer said Ana called this morning and told him that an agent that was working the case with Grey was taking her to a safe house. Sawyer said she failed to give him the name. The agent supposedly told her that Ryan was a mole for Rodriguez and she needed to move fast and not give out too much information yet. All she told him was that the agent came to her because of the situation with Grey's blown cover and they needed to tell everyone that she was working off-site today. Any ideas who it might be?" Taylor was already putting his jacket on when he told his team what was happening.

"Cable, damn it. That son of a bitch. He knew where we were. He didn't know about Bainbridge as far as I know though. But how the hell did he know about the blown cover? I told no one before you this morning?" Christian racked his brain trying to figure out what he was missing. "Cable would have been able to remove my brother's name from the files I got. He knew that we were having dinner last night. He could have been waiting. But how would he be sure of what occurred?"

Taylor looked up and shook his head in answer. "Maxwell, run everything you can on Cable. See if you can find a connection with Rodriguez. Someone get their ass to Steele's apartment and sweep the place for bugs. Grey, let's move. Grab those files on Rodriguez, we need to see if we can find other alternate locations they would take Miss Steele."

Christian spent the car ride to Steele House praying that his love would be safe.

* * *

"Cousin, you've brought me my bride?" The man with the stringy black hair opened his arms in acceptance of the woman that was laid at his feet. "You've done well. Our mothers would be proud of you. She'll be a wonderful mother to our future children. Tell me, how did you subdue her?"

Cable looked at Jose and smiled. "Stopped at the gas station and bought her a bottle of water. A couple drops of your liquid X followed by a bit of chloroform after she fell asleep meant that she stayed this way for the ride. We've got a few hours to prep her for the wedding before she wakes."

"I'll move her to the bedroom to get her ready. I know that it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding, but I think Ana will appreciate the effort I put into surprising her." Jose Rodriguez was proud of himself as he squatted down to brush the hair back from his bride's face. "You have always been so damn beautiful Anastasia. We'll be one soon. We'll be a family, and you'll never leave me. I love you."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm taking a nap after a rough night with a sick child. Look for the remaining chapter spread out over the afternoon and evening. Chapter 29 should be up around 3 pm. Don't forget to find Jenalynn Roberts on Facebook and like the page. Thank you .**

 **I don't own FSoG's characters, but the plot is mine.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 29**

Luke Sawyer watched a mass of FBI agents storm into Escala like ants at a picnic. He was berating himself for not calling Taylor the minute he got off the phone with Ana this morning. When Ana called, he believed her when she said Ryan was working for the bad guy and Luke needed to act as normal as possible. It was noon, and she's been missing since seven. Five hours. Where ever she is, he only prayed she was safe. Luke just knew he was going to get fired. He should be anyways. Luke dropped the ball. He's been so focused on the security inside the building at Steele House, that he's ignored all his military training.

Luke still didn't know what was going on with Tate, all he knows is that Ana had him barred from her properties the night before. Luke thought it was just a lovers' spat and would be fine in the morning, but he still sent Ryan to tail her on her jog this morning. "I should have gone with her myself." Luke was kicking himself while he was down when he saw Tate enter the penthouse lobby.

"Tate, Taylor. Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Luke had heard a few of the FBI suits talking when they first arrived about searching for bugs, but he didn't think that was an issue.

"I'm an FBI agent, and I've been working undercover tracking a serial killer across the country. The women in those photos Ana received, they were his previous victims." Tate was the first to talk, and he looked downtrodden. His hair was utterly unkempt, and Luke wasn't sure, but he would swear the man was wearing yesterday's suit.

"Taylor, sir, what is going on?" Luke couldn't look at the man anymore. He couldn't see the heartbreak written all over his face. Luke knew that Ana and Chris had gotten close, but he didn't think they had grown this close.

"Luke, we need somewhere to talk without being overheard." Luke understood. It would only take one phone call, and the place would be swarmed with paparazzi.

"There is an office upstairs that we can use." If they were worried about bugs being found, he would take them to the building's security office. Ana was a part owner in the luxury complex, they wouldn't be turned away.

"Talk and talk fast. From what I understand, there is a mole and Ana is probably missing. Is my man a traitor or not?" Ryan was always so thankful for what Ana had done for him and his family, he found it hard to believe that he would betray their employer.

"Your men are clean. However, it seems that I had a rat in my midst. Ana was taken from the park by one of our agents under the guise of proceeding to a safe house. He told her he was sent to her because of the reveal of Tate's identity last night. My agent hadn't informed anyone of his cover being blown until I saw him this morning. That's why we suspect there are bugs in the apartment. Most likely they were planted by Rodriguez when he broke in on Friday night." Luke's mind reeled as Taylor spoke and revealed everything they had learned that morning. Now they needed to locate Ana and save her.

"Any idea where he might have taken her?" Luke processed everything he was told. He could start a few hacks and try and find property in their names, but it might take a while.

"We're looking through property records at the moment. The files we have are half complete thanks to my dirty agent, so we're working on gathering the rest." The men sat around the office discussing what steps to take next when a phone started ringing.

"Hello," Christian answered his phone not recognizing the number and felt his heart pounding in his chest.

"Chris, it's Ray Steele. I can't get a hold of Ana. I've called her office, and I'm told that she's working from home. I call the apartment and Gail answers and tells me she hasn't seen my daughter all day. Where the hell are you two?" Christian groaned hearing the words of the man on the other side of the call.

"Mr. Steele, there is a lot going on that I would rather you not hear over the phone. Can you come to Escala? I can answer all your questions then." Christian hated the idea of giving this man bad news, but Raymond Steele might have insight into Jose.

"Fine, I'll be there in twenty." Christian heard the phone click understanding the uncertainty in the worried father's voice.

"Raymond Steele is on his way. I'm going to the lobby to meet him, and I'll bring him up."

* * *

Three hours had passed before Ray finally asked for a break. Ray motioned Christan to the side before proceeding to punch Christian in the gut for lying to his little girl. "We welcomed you like family." The words echoed in Christian's head with every implication it brought. Ray was hurt by his actions just as much as Ana was. "You're going to have to work hard to prove to her that you and Christopher are one and the same."

Christian must have shown the shock because Ray laughed before his next words came. "Don't look so surprised. It was obvious to us then that you love her. I talked to her after Bainbridge. I can only imagine what happened on the island, though I don't want to, I'm sure her feet didn't touch the ground for days. She's my little girl, and I want to protect her. You deserved the hit for the lie, and I'm telling you this only once." Ray's words were harsh, and there was a protectiveness clouding them. "You lie to her ever again, and the FBI will need to start looking into me."

"Thanks, Ray. I promise I didn't lead her on or try to deceive her. It was unexpected falling in love with her. I'm glad I did though. I told my director I'm turning in my resignation when the paperwork is done for this. I need to be in Seattle and working for the FBI's behavioral analysis unit won't allow for that." Christian was already making plans. Their pow wow with Ray included several of Seattle's finest and he would make further contacts with them after this was over. If need be, he'll go into business for himself and set up a real security company.

"I have an idea where you might be able to look for Jose. He had this aunt growing up. She was his mother's sister. Jose used to spend summers with her and her kids. There was bad blood between the aunt and his dad when Jose's mom died, and I know that the aunt passed not long after that. I don't know if any of her kids got the house or what, but Jose was really attached to that family. He had a huge fight with his father about seven years ago because his dad wouldn't let him drive there on his own to see his cousins." Ray sat and thought back. He could remember the aunt's name, but not the entire address. "Susanna Sanchez lived on a pretty secluded property in Montesano. I remember hearing stories about the kids building forts and camping in the woods around the house for days at a time."

"Sanchez?" Taylor's head popped up. He knew that name, and he wasn't sure why. "Get me the files on Rodriguez and Cable." Why did Sanchez sound familiar?

"Grey, call in a team and put a bird on stand-by. It's closing in on five o'clock. The minute we have an address, I want a team mobilized. Call Montesano and coordinate with them. And someone call the damned AG. We're going to need a warrant, and I don't want to wait any longer than necessary. I want to be in the air in thirty address or no address."

"Sir, Cable's mother's name was Sanchez." Christian didn't hear the rest of the conversation, he was pulling through the files on Cable and looking for an address. "Old property records show a property in Montesano, but this paperwork says it was condemned a few years ago and seized by the county for back taxes."

"Let's go. By the time we reach the airfield a helicopter should be ready to transport." Taylor was already exiting the office as he spoke leaving the team to scramble behind him.

Christian released a sigh and a silent prayer that Ana would be safe. It would take a few hours to get to her, but at least they had a location to head toward now. Christian vowed he wasn't letting go once he found her.

* * *

"Uuuuggggh…." Ana woke groggily with her limbs feeling heavy. She didn't remember much after her phone calls to Luke and Andrea, but she thought she was at the safe house Cable told her about. Ana tried to sit up only to realize she already was. Ana's left wrist hurt, and she wondered if she had fallen on it. Attempting to lift her hand up for inspection, Ana finally opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

Ana noticed first that her arms and legs were tied to a chair and the cotton she felt in her mouth, really was cotton. She was gagged. "What the hell was going on?" is the only thought racing through her mind. She wondered if they had been attacked on the road and that was why she didn't remember anything.

Ana looked down at her body and noticed the white of the dress she was dressed in. A white wedding dress, an older wedding dress if she had to guess. The puffy taffeta sleeves didn't instill confidence that it came from this century. The room she was in was large with a complete cherry bedroom set contrasting with the buttery yellow of the walls and the beige of the worn carpet.

Ana tried to scream to get someone's attention, but the only noises she could make were muffled yelps. Hearing sound outside the door, Ana felt her heart race and the panic starting to settle around her. The doorknob creaked as the door was pushed open and Jose walked in.

"Ah, my beautiful bride has finally awoken. I thought I would need to give you a prince's kiss to wake you. Such a missed opportunity. No matter, I will kiss you after our ceremony. Randy and I have prepared for tonight for a long time. I only hope that you can fulfill your duties as the wife in our family." Ana's mind was in a whirl as she tried to understand what he was saying. "You seem confused my darling. Would you like for me to explain? I really need you to understand everything. We have a punishment to dispense, and the ceremony has been set for eight. Randy has finally agreed that I would be the better true husband. He's really been put off after seeing the photos of you with Grey."

"Jose, just tell her what's going to happen and get on with it. Remember to avoid her face. We don't want our children asking questions when they're older and looking at mom and dad's wedding photographs." Randy entered standing behind Jose. Ana recognized him immediately as the agent that met her at the park. She felt stupid. She shouldn't have trusted the man. If she had let Chris stay with her, none of this would have happened.

"So it's like this." Jose pauses for dramatic effect while he walks in a circle around Ana. "I've always wanted you. When we were little kids, I would come stay with my cousin Randy here. He's the closest thing I have to a brother. Anyway, we would talk about you constantly. Randy read a book in high school about polygamy. We realized that we could both marry you and then he and I could be brothers in marriage. I tried for years to convince you that I was the one for you. Then you screwed everything up at graduation. You were supposed to fall for my charms at the party, but instead, you only fell for the X. It did what it needed to. I was so angry when I found you gone the next morning and even angrier when I found you at the hospital talking to the cops. I had to find a way to keep you from doing something that would tear our family apart. Randy and I watched you for months, you were supposed to become pregnant so that you would need to turn to us to take care of you. But like the stupid bitch you are, you killed our baby. Randy had to hack the hospital records to find out why you weren't pregnant. You took those abortion pills."

Ana shook her head, she didn't kill a baby, she merely took the morning after pill. She knew it had been Jose that raped her and she refused to even take a chance of having and raising his baby. Years, these two have been doing this for years she realized.

"I didn't mean to kill the first girl. She just looked so much like you and Randy had told me what you'd done. I was so angry, and I took it out on her. Why did you do that?" Jose was becoming enraged now; shedding tears in his angered state. He punched Ana forcefully in her stomach causing her to grunt. "Why did you kill the evidence of our love? We would have a beautiful little girl that looked just like you by now if you hadn't done that." Jose was crying as he yelled his accusations and questions at Ana.

"Brother, we need to punish her now. It's closing in on seven. The minister will be here in an hour." Jose nodded as he wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry darling." Ana didn't count the blows as they fell, but she prayed she would pass out from the pain.

* * *

"Thermal imaging indicates there are three subjects in the home. All are in a room at the back of the property. Reconnaissance indicates the windows are bulletproof. Doors will have to be knocked down. Whatever you do, the suspects are to be taken alive. We don't know the condition of Miss Steele yet, so the first one to her will need to assess and call for medical if needed." Taylor addressed his team from the wood line at the edge of the property.

"Grey, you're the last in. I want you to focus on finding your girl. Get to her and protect her." Christian sighed in relief knowing he wouldn't be able to focus on anything until he saw her for himself. "Everyone get into position. We move on my count."

The team of twenty agents and local law enforcement surrounded the house, guns drawn and ready to move. Christian was positioned at the front of the property. The team would knock down both the front and back door simultaneously and enter the house in a coordinated effort. Ray Steele was waiting at the helicopter ready to join his daughter once she was rescued.

Christian closed his eyes and pictured Ana's smiling face as he listened to the countdown coming through the earwig in his ear. "I'm coming Ana."

The team moved swiftly sweeping across the lawn and to the edge of the house. Christian stood to the left of the door as a team of four men used a steel battering ram to knock the door down. "Move, move, move." Someone called the order to enter the home and Christian was the first in. He raised his gun up, gripped tightly in both hands, as his arms swept back and forth looking for danger and Ana. Christian could hear the beat of his heart clanging in his ears the closer he got to the back of the property. There was a scuffle and a streak of blue passed by Christian. Three agents were in pursuit, but Christian didn't follow. He moved down the hall toward the room Taylor indicated held Ana.

"I'm telling you, son, you need to drop that knife. I don't see this ending well for you any other way." Taylor could be heard talking to someone, who Christian wasn't sure of. He would guess that it was Cable that ran and Jose still in the room. Christian waited not wanting to cause a problem if he entered the room before being given the go ahead. "Last warning. Drop the knife."

Christian listened, and then he heard the roar of a battle cry followed by a gunshot. He couldn't wait any longer. Christian shoved his way into the room spotting Ana immediately. She was slumped over in a wedding dress tied to a chair. "Ana!"

"Get away from her, she's my wife." Christian still didn't look across the room as he moved to his love's side.

"Baby, baby are you okay?" Christian started working on untying the ropes around Ana's hands connected to each arm of the chair. When Ana still hadn't looked at him, Christian moved closer, kneeling in front of her pushing her hair out of her face. Christian froze when he saw the state of Ana's face. "What did that the bastard do?" Ana's eyes were swollen, and her lip was busted and bleeding. There was a cut to her right cheek, and her nose looked broken.

"I told her I would beat your love out of her. The bitch still claimed to love only you no matter how many times I hit her. "I love Christian Grey." She screamed it over and over. I had to gag her again after that." Jose was sneering at Christian from his pinned position on the floor.

"Get medical." Christan wasn't sure who was listening to him, but he needed to get Ana out of there quick. Christian didn't even stay to hear what Jose's condition was or where the gunshot came from. "I'm getting you out of here baby. Just stay with me." Christian removed Ana's remaining bindings and the gag around her mouth before gathering her in his arms.

"I knew you would come. I love you." Christian barely heard her words, they were hardly a whisper. He heard them nonetheless though. She loved him.

* * *

 **A/N: There is actually only one more chapter and an epilogue after this. I was able to combine two chapters while reworking a few details. See you again in a few hours.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Falling Undercover**

 **Chapter 30**

"Any more news son?" Carrick Grey did his best to abide by his son's wishes, but he couldn't stand by the wayside any longer. He needed to repair the rifts in their relationship. Elliot had pulled his father away two years ago to explain what he'd done to Christian growing up. Elliot was working the steps of his program and needed to find his brother to make amends. Carrick needed to make amends himself.

"No, mom came in about an hour ago to update me. They were able to stop the bleeding in her spleen, but her blood pressure was still giving them fits." Christian sighed as he sat back in the waiting room's vinyl padded green chair and looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "I thought we had gotten there in time to save her. She still might not make it."

Christian felt the tears starting to build once again. He'd already cried all over his mother, Ray, and Kate. Now it would seem he was going to cry in front of his father for the first time. "She's going to hate me when she wakes up. They did that to her because of me. I should have been with her. If I had just told her who I really was last week, she and I would have been together. Even still, they wouldn't have hurt her like they did if she didn't love me." The guilt was suffocating, and Christian could feel the sobs threatening to escape.

"She told them she loved me. She said my name, not my undercover name. She loves me, and I could still lose her." Christian choked the last words out voicing his greatest fear now. "I was dealt a shit hand early in life. Mom was an angel when she rescued me, I thought life was going to get better. It did for a little bit, and then Elliot found little ways to make it hell again. I tried to be a good boy, but it wasn't good enough. You walked into my room with a duffel bag and told me to pack my thing. Three years at Military camp followed by years in the military. I served in several war-torn countries, fought terrorist and insurgents. All of those things scared me Dad, but none of them scare me like the thought of losing Ana."

Carrick couldn't stand it anymore. He moved to the chair next to his son and wrapped his arms around him and held him as he sobbed. Carrick had many things he regretted in life and yesterday he would tell you he wished he redo them all. However, if those mistakes led him to hold his son for the first time, he couldn't only hope that his son would forgive him and work toward moving forward in their relationship. "I love you Christian. I'm confident that your girl will pull through this."

* * *

"Christian, you need to shower. I'll stay here with her. Luke said all your stuff is still at Escala. I know he texted you the codes gain. Go get cleaned up, let Gail feed you and then you can come right back." Kate stood at the end of Ana's bed watching her best friend as she struggled for the words to express how she honestly felt to Christian.

"I'm fine here Kate. Thank you though." Christian hadn't left Ana's room since she was moved from recovery. The beating that Jose and Cable gave her was more extensive than first thought. Ana did indeed suffer a broken nose, but they also cracked 4 ribs, one puncturing her lung. They discovered internal bleeding that turned out to be from her spleen. Grace and the other doctors had informed Ray and Christian that Ana had a bit of trouble clotting, but they were able to repair the rip and stop the bleeding. Right now they were waiting for her to wake up. Ana's CT scans came back clear, but she still wasn't waking up.

"Christian it's been almost 48 hours. Go get some real food and a shower. I promise if she wakes up I will call you." Kate needed Christian to leave the room so that Elliot could try and talk to him and apologize. The eldest Grey brother was beside himself thinking that Ana was in the condition she was in because his hot-headed self couldn't control his mouth and outed Christian the way he did. Elliot took Kate home that night and explained their entire history, even the terrible things that Elliot said that led to his placement at the military school. "Your brother is outside again. He wants to talk to you again and apologize. He told me about the things he did Christian. Let him explain himself and make amends. You're brothers. Give him a chance. After all, you'll be seeking your own second chance when she wakes, won't you?"

Kate had a point. Christian knew that staying in Seattle meant that he would be required for Sunday dinners and would need to share space with Elliot. It was time the brothers settled things and worked toward a friendship they should have had as kids. "Okay, Kate. He can come with me to Ana's place. I'll be back in two hours. If she wakes before then, you call me immediately." Christian lifted himself from the chair beside Ana's bed, placing a kiss on her forehead before squeezing her hand and walking out of the room. Christian paused in the doorway before turning to Kate and letting a small smile slide upon his face. "Thank you, Kate."

* * *

"I can't say it enough Christian, I'm sorry for blowing your cover." Christian had refused to speak to his brother until he had a shower. Gail placed a set of dinner plates on the breakfast bar, lemon roasted chicken breast, and summer veggies, before leaving the kitchen leaving the brothers alone. Christian took a sip of the water next to his plate before he looked at his brother.

"It's not your fault Elliot. We were set up in a way. My background check on Kate should have revealed your name as her boyfriend. The file was scrubbed in the hopes of us running into each other. And, I should have told Ana sooner. She wouldn't have taken risks with her safety if I had been honest with her. She might have told us about Jose and Ethan sooner." Christian chose to believe that if he had told Ana the truth before Bainbridge, things would have proceeded as they had without the separation due to the lie or the danger she found herself in.

"Seriously, Christian, I've been a dick my whole life to you. The first year, I remember being so happy to have a little brother. Mom and Dad promised I would have a built-in best friend. Then you came home, and we couldn't hug you, you didn't like playing baseball, and you screamed at all hours of the night. Mom and Dad paid more attention to you, and I hated it. It made me hate you. I've spent almost every week since the dinner that ruined it all in therapy. I recognize that the things I did to you as kids were my fault. I know Mom and Dad thought it was you stealing from the liquor cabinets and not once did you rat me out. Why?" Elliot hated talking about this stuff with anyone, but his therapist and his sponsor both told him it needed to be done.

"Because you hated me enough as it was. I didn't want to give you another reason. Elliot, no matter what you thought growing up, I just wanted you to like me. I hated having nightmares, but mom made them go away. Sure she and Mia were the only ones that could hug me, but it wasn't anything against you or dad. The first few years of my life, all I knew of a male's touch was pain. Believe it or not, military school was good for me. I had no ambition, no clue what I wanted to do other than to survive to the next day without losing my sanity. I spent so much time focused on avoiding your friends that my grades slipped and when I left, everything got better for me. Although, I have been informed I don't make friends easily. I hold people at arm's length waiting for the shoe to drop." Christian knew that wasn't true though.

"Everyone except Ana Banana right? Kate tells me you made the little bit fall in love with you for a job." Elliot's face had taken on a hard line. He owed a lot of his success over the last year to his friendship with Ana, including his introduction to Kate.

"You're right that I have let Ana get closer than anyone else ever has. I've told her everything Elliot, including the incident that led to me getting sent to Westwood Academy. I've told her about the dinner also. But make no mistake dear brother, I fell in love with Ana hard. I didn't manipulate her, and my feelings for her have nothing whatsoever to do with the job. Honestly, my job is at risk because of my relationship with Ana." Christian needed everyone to understand that he fell in love with Ana just as much as she did with him. All of their feelings aside, he didn't get as close to her as he did for a job.

"What do you mean your job is at risk?" Elliot cocked his head to the side a bit as he examined his brother. Settling his fork down on his plate, Elliot brushed his hair back to observe Christian as he answered.

"Forming relationships like I did with Ana while undercover is a huge no-no. It's like the second rule of undercover work. Get close, but not to close. You can't become attached because you lose objectivity then." Christian wanted to answer all of his brother's questions honestly, having had this conversation with Ana's parents the day before. He knew people would be more curious before everything was said and done.

"If that's the second rule, what's the first?" Elliot grinned at his brother in his enigmatic way, happy to be speaking so comfortably with him.

"Don't get caught." Christian shook his head knowing what Elliot was going to say then.

"Shit! Baby brother I'm sorry. Is there someone I can talk to? Maybe I can say something to save you your job. They wouldn't really kick you out after everything you've done would they?" Elliot spent the next few minutes rambling with a plan to save his brother's job. He refused to let a hero like Christian get kicked to the curb over his big mouth.

"Don't worry about it, Elliot. Everything will work…." Christian had more to say but his phone dinged with a text, and he jumped to read it.

 **Kate: Ana's awake and asking for you**

 **Christian: I'm on the way.**

"Gotta go, bro, my girl's awake." Christian smiled. Christian patted Elliot on the back as he stood and started toward the door.

* * *

"Christian." Ana saw his head peek through the door, and her tears finally broke through. The room was crowded as it was with both her parents, Kate and Christian's mother.

"Baby." Christian started toward the bed not knowing where to go until Kate stepped back. He had watched over her constantly since Ana had returned from recovery and was thankful to see the swelling near her eyes had gone down drastically over the last day. Her nose was still tape to allow the bones to reset. Christian couldn't hold back any longer, iv lines or not, he was was going to hold his girl. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me."

Ana finally relaxed when she felt Christian's arms around her. She spent her time awake in the custody of the bludgeon brothers thinking of Christian and how his name didn't matter. It was the man on the inside that she fell in love with. Christian or Christopher, he would always be her Chris. "I just want you to hold me and tell me you still love me." Ana knew it had to be bad. She'd felt the pain in her face when she woke up. She could feel the stitches, tape, and swelling. Ana knew she must be a hideous sight when Kate refused to get her a mirror.

"Of course I still love you. I'm just worried you still want nothing to do with me." Christian didn't care who was in the room. He hated the thought of her still rejecting him.

"It was just a name. You're still Chris." Finally breathing a sigh of relief, Christian pulled Ana in tighter, kissing the top of her head. He was home when she was in his arms.

"Can we have a few minutes everyone?" Christian didn't look up when he asked for privacy, fearing Ana would disappear if he took his eyes off her for even a second.

Ana waited until the room was cleared before she looked up at Christian. "What's going on?"

Christian took a deep breath, he needed to say a few things, laying it all out on the line. Then he would have to tell her about New York. "I need you to understand. I didn't plan to fall in love with you Ana. In fact, I fought against the feelings that were developing for a while. But it happened nonetheless. I think it was somewhere in your bed, watching Say Anything, that did me in. I wanted to tell you my real name on so many occasions, but I couldn't. The day of your car accident, I was meeting with agents here in Seattle. I was trying to convince them to let me tell you the truth. I called Taylor after Bainbridge and left a message giving them until Friday. I refused to spend another weekend without you knowing the truth. I love you, Ana. Nothing I told you in confidence was a lie."

"I know. You can't fake the passion and connection we share Christian. I'm still pissed as hell. If you had walked in my office and flipped your badge and asked if I knew anything, I would have been reluctant, but knowing that there was a killer loose, I would have told you about Jose sooner. You have to understand that what happened in Portland was my greatest embarrassment. I didn't want to tell anyone about it." Ana frowned and then she remembered something. "Hey, what happened with Ethan and the others?"

Christian smiled knowing they had gotten their bad guys and all the evidence they needed. "Well the dirty FBI agent, he's in custody, but not before he tried to take a few other agents out. He scrubbed files and hacked a few systems. He made his mother's property look like it had been condemned and sold at auction when in fact he had been building a fortress. Ethan is in custody, but he'll be free on bail tomorrow. He swears he never opened the packages he received every May. He would just follow the instructions to deliver the second envelope to you and deposit the $5,000 that came with it. He claims he didn't write the articles that were in them, but he did have a box hidden in a storage closet at KMG that contained addressed envelopes to ten major news and tabloid agencies. Each one held a version of the articles you saw and disks with pics and videos. Ethan was an idiot and owned up to owning and hiding them, stating he was to mail them if he got a call with a certain phrase. Your dad saw some of the pics and said they were in your childhood bedroom. There is a scratch on your back in one of them, and Ray says it proves that you were only fifteen, so the attorney general is talking possession of child pornography. They'll likely plead it down though in hopes of gaining his cooperation against the others."

Ana took all this in. She knew that Ethan was guilty of something, but she was surprised that he wasn't as implicit as she thought he was. "What about Jose?"

"The bastard isn't going anywhere. Taylor shot him in the knee and shattered his kneecap. He'll never walk right again. He charged at Taylor with a knife and Taylor knew the knee shot would stop him without gravely injuring him. Jose is at a different hospital under lock and key. He won't ever be a free man again. The attorney general will likely ask for the death penalty when they finally take it to court. He won't offer Jose a deal. He has a lot of death to make up for." Ana shivered, catching Christian's attention to her body language as she stiffened in his arms. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"It's all my fault. All those girls are dead because of me. He even said so. Oh god." Ana broke down in Christian's arms thinking of all the destruction Jose caused and how it all came down to his obsession with her.

"Ana, Jose is a sick man. It's not your fault." Christian wanted to drive back across town and drag Jose out of his hospital bed and beat him for what he's done to Ana. Nothing good would come out of it except allowing Christian to take out his anger on him like he's been dreaming of. "If you hadn't gotten away when you did back then, he would have killed you by now. Then he would have gone on and killed more. If anything, it was you that helped us stop him. He had nothing Ana. He'd left his prints and DNA at every crime scene, but he's not in the system anywhere. He was a ghost, flitting from city to city, never sticking around after the body was found. In fact, Jose didn't even dump the last one, he left that to Cable to take care of. Jose was on the plane to Seattle before we got the call. It was Cable's mistake that led us to you. They worked as a team. We're still figuring out a bunch of the details, but it's unraveling. They'll never hurt anyone else, and they can't hurt you anymore." Christian pulled Ana tighter to him as he breathed in preparing for his next statements.

Ana knew there was more. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I have to go back to New York tomorrow. I have to answer to the director of the FBI and explain why I broke every rule for you. I have to tell him why I wasn't with you when you were taken. I have to tell the director of the FBI that I fell in love with you and let you kick me out of your place when you found out and in doing so, I let the richest woman in America get kidnapped and assaulted. My boss isn't happy with me, but he's understanding. It's his bosses that are pissed. I think it's the Seattle director that's throwing a stink mainly though. He's a jealous bastard that wants to do undercover work and will take out whoever he needs to to get a spot on the team."

"Are you going to have to go undercover on another case now that this one is solved?" Ana didn't like the idea that he could go away and get close to another woman. Who's to say that he doesn't do this with every case.

"Stop whatever it is you're thinking Ana. You're the first person I've ever gotten this close with. I'm not an undercover agent either. I am a member of the behavior analysis unit. We track and profile criminals, trying to stop them by predicting their next crimes based on a pattern of behavior. My team is stationed in New York for the most part. The PO box in Chicago is a set up for the profile that Taylor created for me when I first joined the bureau. Every agent gets a second identity created as a just in case type thing. I never thought I would ever need to use it." Christian waited for the next question knowing what Ana would want to know next. It was a conversation with his father that set everything in stone for him though. Things weren't perfect with his family, and he still needed to talk to his sister, but they would get better.

"You're going to have to stay in New York with your team, aren't you?" Ana had just found Christian. She fought for their love when Jose was beating her, and she's going to lose him anyway. Her thoughts were heading to a dark place when Ana felt his fingers under her chin tilting her head up to him.

"No. I'm leaving the FBI. I was going to ask for a transfer, but I've been offered something better. There are still a few details left to work out, but I'm becoming a Seattle resident again. Know anyone looking for a roommate?"

Ana smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Her lip hurt, so it was chaste, but it was what she needed. "I hear your brother has a spare bedroom."


	31. Epilogue

**Falling Undercover**

 **Epilogue**

"That's the last box, big brother. Where do you want it?" Mia was happily playing cruise ship director with her brother's belongings. It felt good to have her Christian back. She'd made many promises to herself over the years to be the glue that would bring her brothers back together. Ana may have brought Christian home, but Mia would be the one to bring the family closer together.

"It clearly said bedroom, that's where it belongs." Christian shook his head. This was not what he had in mind when he moved home to Seattle, but he understood things needed to be a little different this time around. Christian watched Mia walk into the kitchen as he took the box from her and carried it into the bedroom.

"Want a beer? Elliot stocks the good stuff." Mia was going to do whatever was necessary to get her brother to talk to her. She wanted all the details, and if alcohol was required to get it, she wasn't above getting him drunk to get her way.

"No. Ana gets off work in a few hours, and then we're meeting Mom and Dad for dinner." Christian smiled as he thought about seeing his girlfriend tonight. He hadn't seen Ana in person since he left her in the hospital. The investigation of his team took longer than he expected. Christian wasn't allowed to leave New York, and Ana was still too weak to fly when she was finally released from the hospital last week.

"Why is she back at work already? It's only been three weeks since she was attacked." Mia spent a lot of time over the last few weeks visiting Ana trying to get to know her better. Mia liked Ana, although she wasn't sure of the staying power of her relationship with her brother yet.

"She's a career driven woman. Frankly, I think she was sick of Gail and Vicki fussing over her. That or Hannah was finally staging a coup at the company." Christian knew, in fact, it was all three of those things. He spoke nightly with Ana talking about anything and everything. He knew he was closer to her now than he was when they first said I love you, yet he still wasn't living with her.

"How did you talk Elliot into letting you stay here anyway?" Mia knew her oldest brother could be a selfish bastard. He hated sharing his space, so imagine her surprise when Elliot asked her to meet Christian at the apartment and help him move his stuff in.

"He's in Paris with Kate right now. I expect the pair to come back engaged and for him to move into her townhouse with him. Either way, he's given me the next twelve days while they are gone to grovel with Ana and convince her that she can't live without me in her bed every night." Christian was determined to make it work. Hell, even Ray was pissed at his daughter for holding back still with Christian.

"Sharing a bed doesn't mean she needs to share closet space with you. You guys are just starting out. Your relationship started out based on a lie, a small one, but I lie still. She needs time to build her confidence in you and in the fact that you're staying around. It doesn't help that you've been secretive about what you're going to do for work now. She was adamant that you weren't coming to work for her." Mia took another swig of her beer, arching an eyebrow at her brother expecting an answer.

"No Luke is taking care of her from a security point from now on. However, I'll tell you, but only because I'll see Ana before you and get to tell her tonight. The reason I didn't tell anyone is that I didn't want the deal to fall through. Dad offered me a place at the practice. They've been hiring out for years for their investigative work. Part of my deal with the FBI lets me keep access to certain databases, so long as I agree to consult with the Seattle office when they have need of a profiler." Christian loved the idea when his dad asked him about it at the hospital. "Essentially, I'll be digging up the dirt needed and then helping the partners with their strategies for the courtroom. My profiling experience will allow me to craft unique plans of attack."

"So you're going to work for Dad huh?" Mia couldn't wait to watch this train wreck happen.

"Actually, I'll be working with Dad. The details we were working out was the stake in the firm that dad wanted to offer me. It was his penance for making the loan to Elliot from my trust fund." Christian knew why his dad was so insistent on making him a partner, and not just a salaried employee.

"I'm surprised to hear that. Dad made Elliot pay it back, plus interest. It was one of the things that Mom put her foot down on. She took both of them to task after the dinner. I have to say though, if you and dad getting close while working together is the result of my taking a fall through the coffee table, then I'm happy to have done it."

Christian shook his head at his little sister. "Of course, you would see it that way. You'll never know how sorry I was that you got hurt. I was preparing for Elliot to come at me again and wasn't expecting anyone to come up behind me." His sister's injury was what prompted Christian to stay away from the family though. He didn't want to be the cause for fighting anymore.

"Listen, it was shitty of Dad and Elliot to try and use your money like that. It was even shittier of Dad to think it was no big deal, that you would never need it and to admit such a thing to you. I understand what happened though. Mom explained PTSD to me and the others. She saw the signs for what they were. She was upset with herself for not stopping me. I love you, big brother." Mia hugged her brother around the middle, loving being able to be so close to him once again.

"It's all behind us now. I've talked to Dad and Elliot about it. We're moving on. I need a favor though." Christian knew the best way to distract his sister was with shopping.

"What's that?"

"I need you to help me with a little shopping." Christian saw the sparkle light up his sister's eyes at the mention of shopping.

"What kind of shopping?" Mia was skeptical. Neither of her brothers ever wanted to go shopping with her.

"Well, I could use a few new suits for work." Christian knew he was testing his sister's patience stringing her along, but he couldn't help it. With a chuckle, Christian told her what he needed most. "It's the engagement ring I need the most help with."

Christian thought for a second that his eardrum split with the scream his sister let out. He wasn't planning to propose this week, or even next week for that matter. However, Christian's parents had a fourth of July party planned, and he wanted to introduce Ana to their family and friends as his fiance. He had six weeks put a plan in place.

Christian felt nothing but happiness when he looked at the clock above his brother's couch and noticed he only had another thirty minutes before he could leave to see Ana once again. He was finally getting it all. Christian was excited about the new job opportunity and to finally be home mending fences with his family. Now he was preparing for his future with the love of his life. Christian was thankful he spent his time with Ana falling undercover.

 **A/N: That's it folks. Thank you for sticking with me as I struggled to complete this. The story will remain on FFN until Sunday night when I will pull it around 11 pm that night. The published version will be on Amazon in a week's time. I'm still looking for a few more advance readers to join my team. Copies of the book will be sent out early Monday morning. Reviews will need to be posted on Friday for release day. Look for Jenalynn Roberts and you can find the link to sign up.**

 **To every one that has left a kind or encouraging word during this process. Thank you. I hope that you all join me at amazon and follow Wesley and Hailey's story there.**


End file.
